Regulatory approvals for Covaxin in process in more than 60 countries: Bharat Biotech says amid travel fears

The US, Canada, Australia, Ireland and the EU are among those who do not have Covaxin approved on their list of vaccines for now.

Meanwhile, top universities are reportedly allowing those who have received vaccines approved by the countries or World Health Organisation (WHO).

Emergency use authorisations (EUA) have been obtained from 13 countries with more to follow, Bharat Biotech informed.

It has submitted an application to the WHO to get a EUL (Emergency Use Listing) for indigenously developed Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin and regulatory approvals are expected by Jul-Sept 2021.

Most countries recommend vaccinations against COVID-19.

Unvaccinated travellers can travel with negative RT-PCR tests prior to travel, in the absence of any other country-specific travel restrictions.

Covaxin, which has been priced at around $15-20 per dose for the export market, has already received EUA in several countries like Mexico, Philippines, Iran, Paraguay, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Guyana, Venezuela, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Nepal.

On social media platform Twitter, Bharat Biotech Joint Managing Director Suchitra Ella said Covaxin reaches 30 cities within 30-day.

"All our employees are committed, working 24x7 thru lockdowns for the country’s immunization. Some of the employees are still quarantined and off work," she said.

The list of cities that Covaxin has reached through private hospital dispatches that include the metros and Tier-I cities like Bengalore, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune, Ella tweeted.

Dr. Raches Ella, Head-Business Development and International Advocacy of Bharath Biotech, while in a recent virtual conversation with members of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) here, said we will soon ramp up its manufacturing capacity to 700 million doses by the end of this year.

The indigenous Covaxin vaccine is co-developed by Bharat Biotech and ICMR, Dr Raches said the Government placed an advanced purchase order of rupees 1500 crore and this will help our company to increase our risk appetite and that is why we are expanding to Bangalore and Gujarat.

With UNI inputs