India got its Diwali gift early as the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin for emergency use listing (EUL) across the globe on November 3. The India-made COVID-19 vaccine was awaiting its approval for several months and got it just a day before Diwali.
The Technical Advisory Group of WHO approved Covaxin for emergency usage yesterday, before which it had sought additional data regarding the vaccine, due to which the approval stood delayed by another week. Bharat Biotech, adhering to WHO’s queries, had submitted the data last week itself.
Covaxin’s approvals by WHO are a cause for celebration for many, but the question remains- how will this approval be beneficial for Indians? Because of this approval, there will be an ease in international travel and expert of vaccines to other countries.
As the COVID-19 cases are reducing across the world, many countries have eased their international travel restrictions. The first, and most prominent, the benefit of the Covaxin emergency use approval will be the facilitation of international travel for Indian nationals to other countries.
Countries such as Guyana, Iran, Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Paraguay, the Philippines, Zimbabwe, and Estonia had already approved Covaxin jabs for Indian travelers in their countries. More recently, Oman and Australia also approved the vaccine for travel purposes.
The approval of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin will now prompt more countries to take a similar step and approve the jab for travel purposes. The approval of the vaccine will also push other countries to import and facilitate its manufacturing inside their borders in the future.
Earlier this year, Bharat Biotech had announced that a deal with US-based Biopharmaceutical Company Ocugen Inc. had been struck to co-develop, supply, and commercialize Covaxin in the US market, increasing its sale and acceptance in the international market.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his address at the G20 summit in Italy, said that the approval for Indian vaccines by WHO is essential as it will ease the international travel process. PM Modi also announced that India is on track to produce and export over 5 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines in 2022.
