New Zealand approves India-made vaccines Covishield and Covaxin
New Zealand has announced that the country has approved Indian vaccines Covaxin and Covishield and Indian travelers who vaccinated with these vaccines will no longer have to quarantine upon landing in the country.
As of now, New Zealand has approved eight vaccines including Covaxin and Covishield that have been recognized by the World Health Organization.
Sharing the news, India’s high commissioner to New Zealand, Muktesh Pardeshi tweeted,
“In a positive decision, NZ includes #covishield and #covaxin in the list of 8 recognised vaccines. We keenly await lifting of travel restrictions. India is already open to vaccinated tourists”.
#IndiaNewZealand
In a positive decision, NZ includes #covishield and #covaxin in the list of 8 recognised vaccines. We keenly await lifting of travel restrictions. India is already open to vaccinated tourists.@MEAIndia @MFATNZ @DrSJaishankar @chrishipkins @AshBloomfield pic.twitter.com/2sU3uxksWC— Muktesh Pardeshi (@MukteshPardeshi) November 17, 2021
It was on the first week of the last month that the WHO approved Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, India’s indigenous Covid-19 vaccine, for emergency use.
Till then, Serum Institute’s Covishield was the only vaccine from India which was approved by the WHO.
Covaxin and AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s Covishield are the two most-used vaccines in India.
Last month, New Zealand’s neighboring country Australia had approved Covaxin and Covishield.
Earlier, New Zealand Prime minister Jacinda Ardern had claimed that the country had “won” the battle against widespread community transmission of the coronavirus.
The latest guidelines issued by the India Health Ministry had stated that nationals from 99 countries, which recognized India’s Covid-19 vaccine certificates, were allowed quarantine – free arrival in India.
