News Analysis India

Tag: Covishield

  • Over-60s won’t need co-morbidity certificate for precautionary Covid jab, says Centre in U-turn

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: After first announcing that 60-plus people who wish to avail precautionary Covid-19 jabs from January 10 will need a certificate to prove the existence of a co-morbidity, the Centre has now dropped the clause.

    In a letter to the states on Tuesday, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that anyone over 60, on their doctor’s advice, can now take the shot and will not be required to show the co-morbidity certificate at the Covid-19 vaccination centre.

    This, in practical terms, will make the entire 60 plus population in India, who have completed 39 weeks since their second Covid vaccination, eligible for the precaution dose against coronavirus that is being permitted also for healthcare and frontline workers.

    ALSO READ | Boost for India’s COVID fight as country approves vaccines Corbevax, Covovax and Molnupiravir pill

    “All persons aged 60 years and above with co-morbidities will not be required to produce or submit any certificate from a doctor, at the time of administration of precaution dose,” wrote Bhushan to state chief secretaries adding that such people are expected to obtain the advice of their doctor before deciding to avail of the precautionary dose.

    The development comes after a section of people, including several doctors, had protested the requirement of doctors’ certificate to avail precautionary Covid-19 jabs, first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25.

    “There is no provision of such a certificate in India’s healthcare system to avail any service. Then, why create this unnecessary hurdle to get the Covid-19 booster jab administered?” said a senior medical professional attached with AIIMS, Delhi who is also a member of ICMR advisory group on Covid-19 clinical management.

    ALSO READ | BCCI President Sourav Ganguly admitted to hospital after testing positive for COVID-19

    Meanwhile, as Covid-19 vaccination for the 15-17 year age group opens from January 3, the Centre urged district officials to identify dedicated session sites or earmarked Covid-19 vaccination centers for their immunisation as only Covaxin is to be administered to them.

    “lt must be ensured that no mixing of vaccines is done. Hence, preferably separate session sites (Covid-19 vaccination centres) should be identified. Separate queue with proper and prominent signage and separate vaccination team must be used, if the identified session site is the same where adult vaccination is also ongoing,” said the letter.

  • PM announces booster shots for frontline workers, 60-plus population; vaccination also to begin for 15-18 age group

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced precautionary additional Covid19 vaccine doses for healthcare and frontline workers across India, saying that they may be at a higher risk of contracting infection in case there is a surge of infection, in the wake of threat from the Omicron variant.

    In an address to the nation, he said the precaution dose will also be available for citizens above 60 years of age and with comorbidities on the advice of their doctor from January 10 next year as well.

    The precaution dose denotes a third dose of the vaccine for the fully vaccinated but Modi refrained from using the term “booster dose”, as it is generally referred.

    Administration of vaccine for this group of population, estimated to be around 3-4 crore in number, will begin on January 10.  

    He also announced that beginning January 3, adolescents aged 15-18 years will be eligible for Covid19 vaccination.

    Additionally, people aged 60 and above with comorbidities will also be eligible for booster or additional shots of Covid19 vaccine, on their doctor’s advice, starting January 10.

    The mega announcements by the PM come even though the country’s top advisory panel on immunization was yet to give its final recommendation on booster doses or vaccination for kids.

    Amid Christmas and the coming new year festivities, Modi asked people to be alert and take all preventive measures but added that they should avoid panic as he reassured them about the health measures in place to deal with any exigencies.

    Administration of nasal vaccine and world’s first DNA vaccine against Covid will soon start in India as well, he said The prime minister said global experience shows that following all preventive measures at a personal level is “big weapon” to fight Covid and so is vaccination.

    This is time to be careful, while engaging in festivities, he said.

    “I would urge all of you not to panic, be careful and alert. Remember to mask up and keep washing hands,” Modi said.

    Noting that India started giving the vaccine to its citizens from January 16 this year, Modi said due to the people’s collective effort and will, India has crossed the “unprecedented” and very difficult milestone of having administered 141 crore vaccine doses.

    “Today, more than 61 per cent of India’s adult population has received both doses of the vaccine. Similarly, about 90 per cent of the adult population has received single dose of the vaccine,” he said.

    Underlining that he was sharing key decisions with the people of the country on the occasion of Christmas, Modi said that vaccination for children between the age of 15 years to 18 years, will start in the country on January 3, 2022.

    This will reduce the worries of children going to schools and colleges and their parents, and boost the fight against the pandemic, Modi said, adding that the move is also likely to aid in normalisation of teaching in schools.

    “We all have experienced that the corona warriors, healthcare and frontline workers made a huge contribution in keeping the country safe in this fight. They still spend a lot of his time in the service of oronavirus patients,” he said.

    “Therefore, from the point of view of precaution, the government has decided that ‘precaution dose’ of vaccine will be administered to healthcare and frontline workers from January 10, Monday” Modi said.

    This will strengthen the confidence of healthcare and frontline workers, he said.

    Giving an overview of healthcare infrastructure in the nation, Modi said that as the virus is mutating, “our confidence to take on challenges is also multiplying”.

    “Our innovative spirit is also growing. The country today has 18 lakh isolation beds, 5 lakh oxygen supported beds, 1,40,000 ICU beds. If ICU and non-ICU beds are taken together, there are about 90,000 beds for children. Today the country has over 3,000 PSA oxygen plants functioning and four lakh oxygen cylinders have been provided across the country,” he said.

    “States are being helped to prepare a buffer dose of necessary medicines. They are also being provided with adequate testing kits,” he said.

    The decision, said the PM, had been taken by the government in the interest of people at large.

    He cautioned people not to panic but to stay vigilant, citing conflicting data from several other countries which are seeing a fresh wave of Covid19 infection.

    Modi also said that a nasal vaccine against Covid19 is on the cards in India, apart from world’s first DNA vaccine (ZyCov D by Zydus Cadila) against Covid19.

    Lauding scientists and health workers, he said the seriousness of vaccine was identified very early and along with research on it, work was also focussed on approval process, supply chain, distribution, training, IT support system and certification.

    Modi emphasised that India’s fight against the virus has from the very beginning been based on scientific principles, scientific consultation and scientific method.

    Eleven-month vaccine campaign, the prime minister said, has brought relief and normalcy in the everyday lives of the countrymen.

    Economic activities have been encouraging compared to many countries of the world, he said while noting that alertness remains of paramount importance.

    He also cautioned against efforts to spread rumours, confusion and fear by some quarters.

    Modi’s address came on a day officials said the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted emergency use authorisation to indigenously-developed Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin for children above 12 years with certain conditions.

    It is the second vaccine to receive the regulator’s nod for use among those below 18 years after Zydus Cadila’s needle-free COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D.

    The significant announcement on booster doses for healthcare and frontline workers comes amid growing clamour for the third shot of Covid19 vaccines for them as there is growing evidence of high breakthrough infections due to the Omicron variant.  

    More than two months after an expert panel endorsed Covaxin for kids, the Drug Controller General of India on Saturday approved the Covid19 vaccine by Bharat Biotech for the 12-17 age group in India.

    #WATCH | Roll out of nasal vaccine and world’s first DNA COVID vaccine will start soon in our country: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/duvNp2zg2s
    — ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2021
    However, the country’s highest drug regulator has permitted the vaccine only for adolescents and not for kids under 12, as recommended by the subject expert committee on Covid19 in October.

    Earlier, the Hyderabad based vaccine maker had said that it had submitted data from clinical trials in the 2-18 years age group for Covaxin to the regulator which was thoroughly reviewed by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization and the subject expert committee.

    “This represents one of the first approvals worldwide for Covid-19 vaccines for the 2-18 age group,” the  company had said . “We now await further regulatory approvals from the CDSCO prior to product launch and market availability of Covaxin for Children.

    Raches Ella, clinic lead of Covid vaccines at the company had also  said in a tweet that Covaxin has been “reported to be safe and immunogenic” in a pediatric cohort and “the approval in children will help expedite the reopening of schools”.

    Now, Covaxin has become the second vaccine, after Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV D, to be permitted for under 18 population group in India even though the country is yet to clearly spell out its policy on Covid vaccination for minors.

    Approved for adolescents aged 12-17 years of age in August by the DCGI, along with adults, ZyCoV D however is still to be rolled out for any population group in the country.

    Meanwhile, Officials in the CDSCO said that though the amount of Covaxin recommended for minors remains the same—0.5 ml—as it is for adults and will also be administered in two doses- 28 days apart- there will be slight difference in the approach.

    “It has been discussed that for adolescents, vaccines can be supplied in pre-filled syringes—instead of vaccines being taken out of vials at the time of administration,” said an official.

    This, officials said, was recommended in order to ensure that exactly the specified quantity of vaccines are administered in kids as the higher quantity may lead to adverse effects.

  • Government allows Serum Institute to export 50 lakh Covishield doses under COVAX

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Union government has allowed the Serum Institute of India to export 50 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine Covishield under the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine programme to Nepal, Tajikistan and Mozambique, official sources said on Sunday.

    In addition to these three countries, the SII will also export Covishield to Bangladesh under COVAX, they said.

    The SII will commence Covid vaccine export under the COVAX programme from November 23 and Nepal will receive the first lot of Covishield on November 24.

    The government, earlier in October, had permitted the SII to export 10 lakh Covishield doses each to Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh under the ‘Vaccine Maitri’ programme.

    In a recent communication to the Union Health Ministry, Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India (SII) is learnt to have informed that the Pune-based firm has manufactured stock of 24,89,15,000 doses of Covishield and that the stock is increasing day by day.

  • SII urges government to fast-track movement of increasing Covishield stock

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Serum Institute of India (SII) has urged the government to fast-track Covishield movement citing the difficulties being faced in production and cold chain space planning for other vaccines because of the increasing stock of its COVID-19 jab, official sources said on Sunday.

    Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at SII, is learnt to have recently communicated to the Union Health Ministry that it has a manufactured stock of 24,89,15,000 Covishield doses and it is increasing every day.

    In addition to the Covishield vaccine, the Pune-based firm also manufactures and supplies various life-saving vaccines to EPI, UNICEF and different countries, Singh is learnt to have told the ministry.

    “To fulfil our domestic and global supply commitments, we have to plan our production/cold chain space/human resource well in advance. In view of continuous increase in the stock of Covishield, we are facing a lot of difficulties in production/cold chain space/human resource planning for other life-saving vaccines,” an official source quoted Singh as having stated in the letter.

    “In view of these facts, genuine difficulties and as this matter is directly concerned with the availability of various other life-saving vaccines in our country and the world at large, we request for your kind intervention for fast-track movement of our Covishield vaccine domestically and globally,” Singh is learnt to have stated.

    The Centre has allowed SII to export 50 Lakh doses of Covishied under the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing programme to Nepal, Tajikistan and Mozambique.

    SII will also export Covishield to Bangladesh under COVAX, an official source said.

    The Serum Institute will commence its Covid vaccine export under the COVAX programme from November 23 and Nepal will receive the first lot of Covishiled on November 24.

    The government had in October permitted SII to export 10 lakh Covishield doses, each to Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh under the ‘Vaccine Maitri’ programme.

  • Efficacy of COVID vaccines satisfactory, finds ICMR study as over 115 crore inoculated in India so far

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The first nationwide measurement of the real-world effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines Covishield and Covaxin have shown 80% and 69% efficacy against severe disease, respectively. Although lower than the protection reported in clinical trials, the figures are still considered to be good.

    The findings are a result of an analysis by ICMR in 11 hospitals across 10 cities between May and July, which studied severely ill and hospitalised Covid-19 patients. In all, 1,143 cases of severe infection and 2,541 negative cases were studied.

    The study, submitted to The Lancet for publication, showed effectiveness was the highest with a gap of 6-8 weeks between two shots of Covishield and Covaxin. Importantly, efficacy estimates were similar against Delta strain and sub-lineages.

    In Phase 3 trials, Covishield had shown nearly 100% protection from severe illness and it was nearly 93% for Covaxin — India’s first indigenously developed Covid vaccine. Tarun Bhatnagar, scientist with the National Institute of Epidemiology, ICMR, and principal investigator for the study, explained that real-world effectiveness estimates will always be lower than trial-based efficacy estimates.

    “This is the largest study on real-world effectiveness (of vaccines) and findings indicate that two doses of Covaxin and Covishield have good effectiveness against the Delta strain which is the dominant circulating strain in India,” Bhatnagar said.

    He pointed out that as a majority had taken Covishield, the numbers for Covaxin are smaller in the study and hence the lower precision of the effectiveness estimates for Covaxin.

    Bhatnagar stressed that considering that effectiveness against severe infection is not close to 100%, masking and social distancing cannot be totally done away with, more so among those not vaccinated, and those who may be more vulnerable to get severe infection such as the elderly, immune-compromised and people with comorbidities

    In the pre-print of the study, scientists said these findings highlight significant real-world protection with two vaccine doses against severe Covid-19 and specifically against the Delta variant in India.

    “Substantial effectiveness of only one dose, more so for Covishield, supports the policy decision from a public health perspective to initially maximise coverage with single dose in the country,” they said. In India, most studies are limited to healthcare and frontline workers with small sample size, and none are population-representative.

    Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 115 crore on Thursday, the Union Health Ministry said.

    According to officials, around 82 per cent of the eligible population in India has received the first dose of the vaccine while more than 41 per cent has been fully inoculated.

    In a tweet, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, “The country is getting protected through vaccination every day.

    As India’s vaccination coverage crosses the 115 crore mark, PM Narendra Modi ji’s words ring true — once Indians decide to do something, nothing is impossible! Har Ghar Dastak strengthening the world’s largest vaccination drive!” On Thursday, more than 65 lakh (65,45,982) vaccine doses have been administered till 7 pm.

    The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late night, the ministry said.

    The ministry had on Wednesday declared that the number of individuals fully vaccinated against COVID-19 surpassed the partially vaccinated population.

    The government has recently launched a month-long ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign for house-to-house COVID-19 vaccination of those who are yet to take a dose and those whose second dose is overdue.

    Mandaviya had recently said that over 12 crore beneficiaries are due for their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine and urged the state health ministers to ensure that all adult population is covered with the first dose during the ongoing ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign, while those who are due for the second dose are also motivated to take the jab.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • 110 nations have agreed to mutual recognition of Covid vaccine certificates with India: Sources

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: So far 110 countries have agreed to mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccination certificates with India, official sources said on Thursday.

    The Union government continues to be in communication with the rest of the world so that beneficiaries of the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination program are accepted and recognised, thereby easing travel for education, business and tourism purposes.

    At present, 110 countries have agreed to mutual recognition of vaccination certificates and also those who recognise Indian vaccination certificates of travellers fully vaccinated with Covishield/WHO approved/nationally approved Covid vaccines, the official sources said.

    ​ALSO READ | 96 countries have agreed to mutual accept Indian COVID vaccine certificates: Mansukh Mandaviya

    There are countries which have agreement with India on mutual recognition of vaccination certificates of nationally recognised or WHO recognised vaccines.

    Similarly, there are countries which presently do not have such an agreement with India, but they exempt Indian citizens fully vaccinated with nationally recognised or WHO recognised vaccines, according to the Health Ministry guidelines.

    On the basis of reciprocity, the travellers from all such countries which provide quarantine-free entry to Indians are allowed certain relaxations on arrival (Category A countries), the guidelines read.

    If a traveller is fully vaccinated and coming from a country with which India has reciprocal arrangements for mutual acceptance of WHO approved COVID-19 vaccines, they shall be allowed to leave the airport and need not undergo home quarantine.

    They shall self monitor their health for 14 days’ post arrival.

    ​ALSO READ | Over 115 crore vaccine doses administered in India till now, says Health Ministry

    If partially or not vaccinated, the travellers need to undertake measures which include submission of sample for post-arrival COVID-19 test at the point of arrival after which they will be allowed to leave the airport, home quarantine for seven days, re-test on the eighth day of arrival in India and if negative, further self-monitor of their health for next 7 days.

    “Fifteen days must have elapsed since completion of COVID-19 vaccination schedule,” the guidelines said.

    Travellers from countries excluding those countries at risk, will be allowed to leave the airport and shall self-monitor their health for 14 days’ post arrival.

    This is applicable to travellers from all countries including Countries with which reciprocal arrangements for mutual acceptance of WHO approved COVID-19 vaccines also exist.

  • India committed to supplying COVID vaccines to other nations; exports to begin by year end

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India is committed to supplying COVID-19 vaccines to other nations and such supplies are likely to begin by the end of this year, as the abundant production will not just meet domestic needs but also generate surplus for exports, a top government official said on Monday.

    The official, however, added that the supply of vaccines to other nations will have to be balanced against the country’s vaccination program.

    “India’s commitment to provide vaccines to other nations stands. It has been reiterated by the Indian leadership. However, major supplies to other nations will have to be balanced against India’s own needs of vaccines for the country’s vaccination program,” the official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

    India, the world’s largest producer of vaccines overall, had suspended exports of COVID-19 vaccines in April to focus on inoculating its own population following a sudden spike in infections.

    “We do foresee that there will be spare supplies, and in fact going into late 2021 and beyond, there will be generous vaccine supplies, which would then become available for exports, so the situation is being watched carefully, it is a dynamic situation,” he said.

    According to the official, currently the priority is to cover the eligible population of India effectively and in the shortest possible time.

    “The export needs and commitments are also carefully watched and monitored,” he said, adding that going forward, the calibrated approach to exporting vaccines would be taken.

    The official said: “India would particularly like to fulfil its commitment to COVAX.”

    COVAX is a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines directed by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and the WHO.

    The Ministry of External Affairs on October 14, had said that coronavirus vaccines have been sent to Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Iran as per the government’s decision to resume their supplies.

    External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the government has decided to send the supplies to neighbouring countries initially.

    India had suspended exports of COVID-19 vaccines in April.

    Last month, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced that India will resume supply of coronavirus vaccines abroad.

    “Prime Minister Narendra Modi said recently at the UN General Assembly that India will resume supply of coronavirus vaccines. We have decided to start with the neighbourhood,” Bagchi had said.

    On October 21, India achieved a major milestone in its vaccination programme against COVID-19 as the cumulative vaccine doses administered in the country surpassed the 100-crore mark.

    More than 75 per cent of India’s adult population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with nine states and union territories administering the first dose to all eligible people.

    Over 31 per cent of the country’s around 93 crore adults have been administered both doses, according to health ministry officials.

    Three vaccines — Covishield manufactured by Serum Institute of India, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Sputnik V — are currently being used in the country’s COVID vaccination drive.

  • Serum Institute of India seeks regular marketing authorisation from DCGI for Covishield

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Pointing out that over 100 crore doses of Covishield have been supplied in India and many other countries, Serum Institute of India on Monday sought regular marketing approval for the COVID-19 vaccine, which is currently authorized for emergency use in the country, official sources said.

    The application sent to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) by Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India (SII) comes just a couple of days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with domestic COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers.

    If the DCGI grants regular marketing authorisation, Covishied will be the second vaccine in the world to receive such approval.

    Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine has received full US FDA approval for use in individuals 16 years of age and older.

    The cumulative COVID-19 vaccines administered in the country has exceeded 102.27 crore. Of all the vaccine doses administered, around 90 per cent are Covishield and close to 10 per cent are Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

    Less than one per cent of the doses given are Sputnik V. The Pune-based SII has submitted the final phase 2/3 clinical study report of India with its application for grant of regular market authorization for Covishield, an official source said.

    According to the application by Singh, the firm has already submitted phase-3 clinical study results of 24,244 subjects from the UK, Brazil and South Africa on June 8, 2021, to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

    Also, phase-3 clinical study results of 32,379 subjects from the US, Chile and Peru were submitted on July 9.

    “In addition to the successful completion of our phase 2/3 clinical study in India, till now more than 100 crore doses of our Covishield has been administered to people in our country and worldwide.

    “Such a large-scale vaccination with our Covishield vaccine and containment of COVID-19 infection is in itself a testimony to the safety and efficacy of Covishield,” the official source quoted Singh as having stated in the application.

    Singh thanked the DCGI office and Subject Expert Committee for granting restricted emergency use approval to Covishield on January 3, because of which, he said, the vaccine played a crucial role in the pandemic control and has been the mainstay of India’s Covid inoculation drive.

    “It is a matter of pride for us that we have been a part of the world’s largest vaccination drive under the dynamic and visionary leadership of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji,” Singh is learnt to have said in the application.

    Under the kind guidance of Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Team Government of India and leadership of CEO Adar C Poonawalla, Team Serum Institute of India has been working relentlessly to manufacture and supply Covishield vaccine for making the world’s largest Covid vaccination drive successful, he said.

    “In line with our prime minister’s clarion call of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, we have made our country Aatmanirbhar for COVID-19 vaccine. In view of the above-mentioned facts, we request for your kind approval for regular market authorization of Covishield,” Singh is learnt to have written in the application.

  • Over 30 countries including UK recognise India’s Covid vaccine certificate: Sources

    By Online Desk

    According to government sources cited by PTI, 30 countries have agreed on mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccine certificates with India.

    UK, France, Germany, Nepal, Belarus, Lebanon, Armenia, Ukraine, Belgium, Hungary and Serbia are among the countries that have come to a mutual agreement.

    Earlier this month, UK had made quarantine compulsory for all Indian’s travelling to the country thereby dismissing the Covid certificate issued by Indian authorities. After much deliberations between the two nations, UK agreed to drop quarantine rules for fully vaccinated Indians coming to the country from October 11.

    A British High Commission spokesperson, as quoted in one of the earlier reports by TNIE, said “The extension of vaccine certification is a further step to enable people to travel more freely again, in a safe and sustainable way, while protecting public health.”

    However, travellers from few countries, including South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China and some others in Europe, will have to follow additional measures, in addition to the mandatory Coronavirus protocols when they arrive in India, sources were quoted as saying.

    Meanwhile, Covishield is the only India-made vaccine approved by the US authorities ahead of its reopening of borders for international air travellers from November.

    WHO has approved seven vaccines so far — Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Covishield (an Oxford-AstraZeneca formulation) and China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac.

    (Inputs from PTI)

  • Australia says looking forward to welcoming Indian students after Covishield approval

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Australia on Friday said it was looking forward to welcoming Indian students after its top medical regulator approved the Covishield vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India for incoming international travellers.

    Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s office said the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has advised that Coronavac (Sinovac) and Covishield should be considered as “recognised vaccines” for the purpose of determining incoming international travellers as being appropriately vaccinated against COVID-19.

    During a media interaction, visiting Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan said it is a wonderful news that his Prime Minister has announced that the international border will be reopening.

    “It means that the pathway for our Indian international students to return to Australia is there again and with semester one starting in February, March next year, those international students will be able to start returning towards the end of this year and the beginning of next year,” he said.

    Australia had imposed very strict travel restrictions on people travelling in and out of the country.

    To a query regarding approval to Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, Tehan said: “I think it’s still before the World Health Organization, as I understand it. So obviously there’s that step that needs the approval process, and then our Therapeutic Goods Administration will look at it.”

    The Australian PMO said the government will finalise in the coming weeks the processes for people to be able to show their vaccination status if they have had a TGA recognised vaccine.