The United States (US) has given the green signal to the travellers who are fully vaccinated with Covaxin to enter the country from November 8.
Talking to ANI over updating the approved travel list for Covaxin, CDC press officer, Scott Pauley said, "CDC's travel guidance applies to FDA approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines and encompasses any new vaccines that may be added to either of those lists over time."
The last-minute addition comes less than one week before the US launches its new travel system, which grants entry to foreign travellers who have received a vaccine that has been approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or WHO.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), United States on Wednesday acknowledged the World Health Organisation's (WHO) granting emergency use listing (EUL) to India's indigenous vaccine Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech.
The WHO in a tweet said, "The Technical Advisory Group, convened by World Health Organisation (WHO), has determined that the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine meets WHO standards for protection against COVID-19."
"WHO has granted emergency use listing (EUL) to COVAXIN (developed by Bharat Biotech), adding to a growing portfolio of vaccines validated by WHO for the prevention of #COVID19," it added.
The new travel rules will also accept travellers fully vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Covishield, Sinopharm and Sinovac.
According to WHO, Covaxin, developed by the Indian biotechnology company Bharat Biotech in partnership with the Indian Council of Medical Research, has a 78 per cent efficacy rate against COVID-19 and is "extremely suitable" for low- and middle-income countries because it is easy to store.
