On Tuesday, the Union Health Minister of India, Mansukh Mandaviya announced the indigenous anti-Covid-19 vaccines Covishield and Covaxin, which have now been accepted by 96 countries across the world, with them agreeing on mutual recognition of the coronavirus vaccination certificates with India.
WHO (World Health Organization)and EUL (Emergency Use List) have approved both the COVID-19 vaccines.
“The World Health Organization has included 8 vaccines in EUL (emergency use listing) so far. We are happy two out of these are Indian vaccines — Covaxin and Covishield. Ninety-six countries of the world have recognized both these vaccines,” Mr Mandaviya said on the news in New Delhi.
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Meanwhile, Health Minister Mr Mansukh Mandaviya also conveyed that cumulative 109.08 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been distributed so far in the country.
Under the Centre’s “Har Ghar Dastak” mega vaccination campaign, the minister explained, “Healthcare workers are going to all houses to carry out the vaccination drive.”
Further Mandaviya said “The Ministry of Health along with the Ministry of External Affairs is in continuous communication with all countries for mutual recognition of vaccine certificates, and WHO and nationally-approved vaccines to facilitate hassle-free international travel across countries.
The Union government’s commitment to accelerate the pace and expand the scope of Covid-19 vaccination throughout the country has resulted in crossing the 100 crore milestone in the administration of doses on October 21”.
He explained that the Union government proceeds to be in communication with the rest of the world so that beneficiaries of the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination program in India — are accepted and recognized, thereby relaxing travel for education, business, and tourism purposes.
Mr Mandaviya asserted that the health ministry, along with the foreign ministry, is in continuous communication with all countries for mutual recognition of vaccine certificates to ease hassle-free international travel.
About 96 countries that have received and acknowledged these two vaccines are:-
- Canada
- the United States
- the United Kingdom
- France,
- Germany
- Belgium
- Ireland
- The Netherlands
- Spain
- Bangladesh
- Mali
- Ghana
- Sierra Leone
- Angola
- Nigeria
- Benin
- Chad
- Hungary
- Serbia
- Poland
- The Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Croatia
- Bulgaria
- Turkey
- Greece
- Finland
- Estonia
- Romania
- Moldova
- Albania
- The Czech Republic
- Switzerland
- Liechtenstein
- Sweden
- Austria
- Montenegro
- Iceland Eswatini
- Rwanda
- Zimbabwe
- Uganda
- Malawi
- Botswana
- Namibia
- The Kyrgyz Republic
- Belarus
- Armenia
- Ukraine
- Azerbaijan
- Kazakhstan
- Russia
- Georgia
- Andorra
- Kuwait
- Oman
- the United Arab Emirates
- Bahrain
- Qatar
- Maldives
- Comoros
- Sri Lanka
- Mauritius
- Peru
- Jamaica
- the Bahamas
- Brazil has also agreed to mutual recognition of Covid-19 vaccination certificates with India.
Other countries that accept Indian vaccines are:-
- Guyana
- Antigua and
- Barbuda
- Mexico
- Panama
- Costa Rica
- Nicaragua
- Argentina
- Uruguay
- Paraguay
- Columbia
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Commonwealth of Dominica
- Guatemala
- El Salvador
- Honduras
- The Dominican Republic
- Haiti
- Nepal
- Iran
- Lebanon
- The State of Palestine
- Syria
- South Sudan
- Tunisia
- Sudan
- Egypt
- Australia
- Mongolia
- the Philippines
Persons travelling from these countries are given certain relaxations as laid out by the Union Health Ministry’s guidelines for international arrivals, as per the order issued on October 20 this year.
“For those who wish to travel abroad, the international travel vaccination certificate can also be downloaded from the Cowin portal,” the ministry informed.
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