Travellers Vaccinated With Covaxin Can Enter US From Nov 8

New Delhi: After the World Health Organisation (WHO) granted India’s vaccine emergency use authorisation, now travellers fully vaccinated with Covaxin can enter the US from November 8, when the latter opens its borders to vaccinated foreigners.

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has acknowledged WHO’s permission for emergency use of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

CDC press officer Scott Pauley said, “CDC’s travel guidance applies to FDA approved or authorised and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines and encompasses any new vaccines that may be added to either of those lists over time.”

“WHO has granted emergency use listing to COVAXIN (developed by Bharat Biotech), adding to a growing portfolio of vaccines validated by WHO for the prevention of #COVID19,” WHO has said in a tweet.

On October 26, US President Joe Biden signed an order lifting severe travel restrictions on China, India and much of Europe effective November 8. The order also imposes new vaccine requirements for most foreign national air travellers.

The White House confirmed that children under 18 are exempt from the new vaccine requirements.

The extraordinary US travel restrictions were first imposed in early 2020 to address the spread of COVID-19. The rules barred most non-US citizens who within the last 14 days have been in Britain, the 26 Schengen countries in Europe without border controls, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil.