Media Center

QUESTION NO.3279 WHO APPROVAL FOR COVAXIN

December 17, 2021

LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3279
TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2021

WHO APPROVAL FOR COVAXIN

3279. SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI:

Will the Minister of External Affairs be pleased to state :

(a) the reasons for the delay in securing WHO approval for COVAXIN vaccine;

(b) whether any compensation is being provided to Indians unable to travel abroad for employment due to the delay in COVAXIN approval; and

(c) the number of VIPs who travelled abroad despite receiving the COVAXIN vaccine along with reason for providing such an exemption?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN]

(a) & (b) Grant of Emergency Use Listing (EUL) by the World Health Organization (WHO) is a technical process which is undertaken by independent experts appointed by the WHO. The process involves submission of necessary data by the concerned vaccine manufacturing company and its analysis and evaluation by the said experts. Bharat Biotech International Limited applied for the WHO’s EUL for COVAXIN in July 2021. COVAXIN was granted EUL by the WHO on 03 November 2021 after the WHO’s expert body so recommended.

(c) There is no multilaterally agreed upon requirement of vaccination for travel purposes. International travel can also be undertaken with negative RT-PCR and quarantine related health protocols to a large number of countries. Further, different countries have different requirements for travel, including nature of passports, type of visas, purpose of travel, duration of stay etc. These are sovereign decisions of foreign countries. Travels including by VIPs are in accordance with the prescribed protocols of the countries concerned.

***
Write a Comment Write a Comment
Comments

Post A Comment

  • Name *
    E-mail *
  • Write Your Comment *
  • Verification Code * Verification Code