Australia's top medical regulator on Friday approved the Covishield vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India for incoming international travellers. As the borders reopen, the move will help facilitate the return of thousands of Indian students to the country. But while this will allow entry to some vaccinated Indians, others continue to be restricted by their inoculation choices.
UK Medicines and Health products Regulatory Agency and Health Canada had provided regulatory approvals for the AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. Citing this, the TGA said that the jab manufactured by the Serum Institute of India was a "recognised" vaccine.
In contrast, other vaccines used in India are yet to be approved by global forums. Speaking about Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, the TGA said that it had not yet reached a conclusion on whether this was a "recognised" vaccine because "this is an un-refereed pre-print, and we have not yet been provided with a regulatory dossier".
"Sputnik V showed an average VE against symptomatic infection of 92% and VE against hospitalisation of 100%...Because this is only a single study, and we have not yet been provided with a regulatory dossier, TGA has not reached a conclusion on whether Sputnik V be a "recognised vaccine," the TGA site added.
"People who have received vaccines not recognised by the TGA or those who have not been injected in the first place will be required to undertake 14 days of managed quarantine on arrival. The Australian PMO said that the government will finalise the processes for people to be able to show their vaccination status in the coming weeks.
"In coming weeks, the Minister for Health will consider updates to the Biosecurity Act Emergency determinations to facilitate some of these changes for fully vaccinated Australian travellers as we move forward on the National Plan to get Australia back to normal and reopen our country safely," an official statement added.
