Germany allows entry to travellers jabbed with Indian-made COVID-19 vaccine COVAXIN

Germany has recognised the WHO-listed Bharat BioTech’s COVID vaccine COVAXIN for travel to the country starting June 1. The development was confirmed by the German ambassador to India who said that the embassy has been pushing “very actively” for such decisions. Notably, the World Health Organisation (WHO) in November last year, issued an emergency use listing (EUL) for the Indian anti-COVID vaccine saying that it qualifies the standards on quality, safety, efficacy, a risk management plan and programmatic suitability. 

In a tweet, Lindner said that he was “very happy that the German government just decided to recognize WHO-listed COVAXIN for travels to Germany, starting June 1!”. It is pertinent to note that the Covishield-another vaccine manufactured by India-was given a green light by the German administration in July last year.  

Which vaccines are recognised in Germany?

As such, according to the Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biometrics, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Germany currently recognises these vaccines:

• BioNTech/Pfizer Manufacturing GmbH, Comirnaty (including BNT162b2/COMIRNATY, Tozinameran)
• Janssen-Cilag International NV
• Moderna Biotech Spain, S.L., Spikevax (including mRNA-1273)
• AstraZeneca AB, Schweden, Vaxzevria (including AZD 1222) 

COVAXIN gets approval for kids 

India's drug regulator has granted restricted emergency use authorisation for Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN for children in the age group of six to twelve years. The approval by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for inoculating children below 12 years paves the way for giving protection to a majority of school going children and holds major significance ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with CMs on the emerging COVID-19 situation in the country on Wednesday through video conferencing. 

After the approval, Bharat Biotech on Tuesday issued an official statement which said, "Bharat Biotech had conducted phase II/III, open-label, and multicenter studies to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity COVAXIN in healthy children and adolescents in the 2-18 age group. The clinical trials conducted in the paediatric population between June 2021 to September 2021 have shown robust safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity. The data was submitted to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) during October 2021, and received an emergency use nod for children aged 12-18 from DCGI during December 2021."

(Image: AmbLindnerIndia/Twitter)