Australia okays Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for travel ahead of WHO meet

Australia on Monday recognised Covaxin for the purpose of establishing a traveller’s vaccination status, two days before the World Health Organization meets for final assessment of the emergency use listing of the made-in-India vaccine.

The backing of Australia could tip the scale in favour of Covaxin when the WHO meets on November 3. Asserting India’s prowess in vaccine manufacturing, Prime Min­ister Narendra Modi at a G-20 summit session in Rome on Saturday said it was necessary that the WHO approves Indian vaccines “at the earliest''.

A technical advisory group of the WHO had sought additional clarifications from Bharat Biotech for Covaxin to