Covid-19: 96 countries recognise India’s vaccination certificates, says Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya

Ninety-six countries have agreed to Mutual Acceptance of Vaccination Certificates, reflecting the worldwide acceptance of India’s Covid-19 vaccines and vaccination process, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said today.

The recent emergency-use listing of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin has taken the number of approved vaccines to eight. “We are happy two out of these are Indian vaccines — Covaxin and Covishield,” Asian News International quoted the Union Health Minister as saying.

The vaccine, developed jointly by the Indian Council of Medical Research and Bharat Biotech, last week joined Covishield in getting emergency-use approval from the World Health Organization (WHO) after a months-long review process. Mandaviya said 96 countries, the full list of which was available in the CoWin app, recognised both the vaccines.

India, which had targeted vaccinating the eligible adult population by December, has administered 109 crore doses so far, Mandviya said.

Last week, the Centre launched the ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign to increase vaccination coverage after Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted officials to widen India’s inoculation net by the end of the year.

Modi reviewed the vaccination drive with officials from districts with low coverage and stressed on the need to adopt innovative ways to increase the numbers. He also urged the officials to enlist the help of local religious leaders to fight off rumours and spread awareness about vaccines.

Speaking to Asian News International, Mandaviya said health care workers were going door-to-door as part of the ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ drive to carry out vaccinations.

India crossed the milestone of 100-crore vaccine administration on October 21.

“The Union government continues to be in communication with the rest of the world so that beneficiaries of the world’s largest Covid vaccination program are accepted and recognised, thereby easing travel for education, business and tourism purposes,” a government statement quoted Mandaviya as saying.

The United Kingdom will add Covaxin to its list of approved vaccines from November 22. The United States lifted travel restrictions to allow travellers jabbed with all US Food and Drug Administration- and WHO-approved vaccines from Monday.