Indians wait for WHO clearance for local vaccine to travel abroad

Like Sugathan, millions of Indians have taken Covaxin and many have complained of travel difficulties as several countries have not recognized the vaccine for international travel.

“I can’t be idle here anymore,” said Sugathan, 57, who returned to the Kerala village of Pandalam in January to be with his family after missing his father’s funeral last year when the pandemic disrupted flights. .

“I had the option to go to Saudi Arabia and take (additional doses of) Covishield after a four-day institutional quarantine, but I was not sure of its implications for my health,” Sugathan said, referring to the AstraZeneca (AZN) vaccine. L). .

“If Covaxin approval does not come, I will risk going and taking a vaccine approved by Saudi Arabia,” he added, sitting in his spacious two-story house with rice paddies.

Read more: Apollo Announces Free Covid Vaccination For Children With “Specific Comorbidities”.

The WHO is expected to take one last call on an emergency use list for Covaxin on Tuesday.

It has deliberated on the data provided by the manufacturer Bharat Biotech since the beginning of July but has said that it could not “cut corners” when making a decision.

Without a nod from WHO, two-dose Covaxin is unlikely to be accepted as a valid vaccine globally and would complicate travel plans for Indians who have taken it.

Rajan Pallivadakethil Unnunni, 59, who worked in Kuwait as a welder for two decades before flying to India late last year, has not been able to return because Kuwait does not recognize Covaxin.

Now he is struggling to pay off his $ 20,000 bank loan by selling chicken from a small stand in Kerala and earning $ 4 a day.

“If I cannot return to Kuwait, I will not be able to repay the loan and complete my children’s education,” said Rajan, sitting on a plastic stool in front of his store.

“I can buy a ticket to Kuwait only if the Kuwait government app shows a green tick.”