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Updated 18 January 2022
Serum Institute of India’s Covishield is not only playing a frontal role against the COVID-19 pandemic in its home country but also coming to the aid of several low and middle-income countries through the COVAX agreement. The life-saving drug has been authorized by around 47 countries as well as the WHO.
Keep reading to find out where the Covishield vaccine has been approved.
About Covishield
The Covishield vaccine developed by the Serum Institute of India in conjunction with the Oxford University and the British-Swedish company AstraZeneca is based on the viral vector platform.
It requires two doses, given four weeks apart, to prime the immune system to fight off the coronavirus. The first jab prompts the immune system to start making antibodies while the second one strengthens the immune response, thus priming the body against coronavirus.
This vaccine is to be administered only to individuals above the age of 18 years, as its safety has not been assessed in children and teenagers.
From January to August, the SII alone manufactured about 600 million Covishield, distributed to around 95 countries with low or middle income through GAVI’s COVAX agreement.
Covishield WHO status
The WHO’s Emergency Use Listing (EUL) and EMA’s Conditional Marketing Authorization act as benchmarks for the other countries.
WHO authorized Covishield for emergency use on 15 February 2021 in the 18+ age group. WHO assessed the quality, safety and efficacy data, risk management plans and programmatic suitability, such as cold chain requirements over a period of four weeks.
For COVID-19 vaccines, the UN’s health branch has set the bar for minimum efficacy at 50% in its considerations for evaluation of COVID-19 vaccines. So far, 10 vaccines are approved for use by WHO:
- Pfizer/BioNTech: Comirnaty
- Covishield: Oxford/ AstraZeneca formulation
- Oxford/AstraZeneca: Vaxzevria
- Johnson & Johnson: Ad26.COV2.S
- Moderna: mRNA-1273
- Sinopharm: BBIBP-CorV
- Sinovac: CoronaVac
- Covaxin: BBV152
- Novavax: NUVAXOVID and Covovax
Covishield EMA status
The EMA has already authorized the AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use across Europe. Covishield vaccine passports will also be accepted by the EU countries.
The EMA’s authorization process involves the safety monitoring of vaccines and careful consideration of aspects like risks, side effects, design, clinical reports, etc. Till now, the organization has given a nod to:
- Pfizer/BioNTech: Comirnaty
- Moderna: mRNA-1273
- Oxford/AstraZeneca: Vaxzevria
- Johnson & Johnson: Ad26.COV2.S
- Novavax: NUVAXOVID
Countries that have approved Covishield
The following countries have given Covishield the go-ahead so far:
Afghanistan
The other vaccine approved by Afghanistan is Janssen.
Antigua and Barbuda
The other vaccines approved by Antigua and Barbuda are Sputnik V, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Janssen.
Argentina
The other vaccines approved by Argentina are Moderna, Sinovac, Pfizer, CanSino, Sputnik V, Sinopharm, Sputnik Light and AstraZeneca.
Bahamas
The other vaccines approved by the Bahamas are Pfizer and Janssen.
Bahrain
The other vaccines approved by Bahrain are Pfizer, Sputnik V, Sputnik Lite, Sinopharm, Covaxin and Janssen.
Bangladesh
The other vaccines approved by Bangladesh are Pfizer, Sputnik V, Sinovac, Moderna, Sinopharm and Janssen.
Barbados
The other vaccines approved by Barbados are Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Janssen.
Bhutan
The other vaccines approved by Bhutan are Moderna and Pfizer
Bolivia
The other vaccines approved by Bolivia are Pfizer, Sinovac, Janssen, Sputnik V and Sinopharm.
Botswana
The other vaccines approved by Botswana are Janssen, Covaxin, Sinovac, Moderna, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca.
Brazil
The other vaccines approved by Brazil are Pfizer, Sputnik V, Janssen, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, and Sinovac.
Cabo Verde
The other vaccine approved by Cabo Verde is Pfizer.
Canada
The other vaccines approved by Canada are Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Janssen.
Côte d’Ivoire
The other vaccine approved by Ivory Coast are Pfizer and AstraZeneca.
Dominica
The other vaccine approved by Dominica is Sinopharm.
Egypt
The other vaccines approved by Egypt are Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, Sputnik Light, Janssen, Sinopharm, and Sinovac.
Ethiopia
The other vaccines approved by Ethiopia are AstraZeneca and Sinopharm.
Ghana
The other vaccines approved by Ghana are Pfizer, Moderna, Janssen, AstraZeneca and Sputnik V.
Grenada
The other vaccine approved by Grenada is AstraZeneca.
Honduras
The other vaccines approved by Honduras are Moderna and Sputnik V.
Hungary
The other vaccines approved by Hungary are Novavax, Moderna, Pfizer, CanSino, Sputnik V, Janssen, AstraZeneca, and Sinopharm.
India
The other vaccines approved by India are ZyCadila, Janssen, AstraZeneca, Covaxin, Sputnik V, Moderna, Cobervax and Covovax.
Jamaica
The other vaccines approved by Jamaica are AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Janssen.
Lebanon
The other vaccines approved by Lebanon are Pfizer, Sputnik V, and Sinopharm.
Madagascar
The other vaccines approved by Madagascar are AstraZeneca, Janssen and Sinopharm.
Maldives
The other vaccines approved by Maldives are Moderna, Pfizer, Sputnik V, Janssen, and Sinopharm.
Morocco
The other vaccines approved by Morocco are Sputnik V, Sinopharm, and AstraZeneca.
Myanmar
The other vaccine approved by Myanmar is Sputnik V and Sinopharm.
Namibia
The other vaccines approved by Namibia are Pfizer, Janssen Sputnik V and Sinopharm.
Nepal
The other vaccines approved by Nepal are Moderna, Pfizer, Janssen, Sputnik V, Covaxin, Sinopharm, and Sinovac.
Nicaragua
The other vaccines approved by Nicaragua are Abdala, Soberana 02, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V and Sputnik Light.
Nigeria
The other vaccines approved by Nigeria are Moderna, Pfizer, Sputnik V, Sinopharm, AstraZeneca and Janssen.
Republic of Moldova
The other vaccines approved by Republic of Moldova are Moderna, Pfizer, CanSino Sputnik V, Janssen, Sinopharm, AstraZeneca and Sinovac.
Saint Kitts and Nevis
No other vaccine has been approved in the country.
Saint Lucia
The other vaccine approved by Saint Lucia is Janssen.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
The other vaccines approved by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are Abdala, Pfizer, Moderna, Sputnik V and Janssen.
Seychelles
The other vaccines approved by Seychelles are Moderna, Sputnik V, and Sinopharm.
Solomon Islands
The other vaccine approved by Soloman Islands is Sinopharm.
Somalia
The other vaccine approved by Somalia is Sinopharm.
South Africa
The other vaccines approved by South Africa are Pfizer, Sinovac and Janssen.
Sri Lanka
The other vaccines approved by Sri Lanka are Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Pfizer, Sputnik V, and Sinopharm.
Suriname
The other vaccines approved by Suriname are Moderna and Sinopharm.
Syrian Arab Republic
The other vaccines approved by SAR are Sputnik V.
Togo
The other vaccines approved by Togo are AstraZeneca and Sinovac.
Tonga
The other vaccine approved by Tonga is Pfizer.
Trinidad and Tobago
The other vaccine approved by Trinidad and Tobago are Janssen, Covaxin, Pfizer and Sinopharm.
Ukraine
The other vaccines approved by Ukraine are Moderna, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Janssen and Sinovac.
European countries that have approved Covishield for vaccine passport
France
The other vaccines approved by France are Moderna, Pfizer, Janssen and AstraZeneca.
Austria
The other vaccines approved by Austria are Moderna, Pfizer, Janssen, and AstraZeneca.
Estonia
The other vaccines approved by Austria are Moderna, Pfizer, Janssen, and AstraZeneca.
Germany
The other vaccines approved by Germany are Moderna, Pfizer, Janssen, and AstraZeneca.
Greece
The other vaccines approved by Greece are Moderna, Pfizer, Janssen, and AstraZeneca.
Iceland
The other vaccines approved by Iceland are Moderna, Pfizer, Janssen, and AstraZeneca.
Ireland
The other vaccines approved by Ireland are Moderna, Pfizer, Janssen, and AstraZeneca.
Netherlands
The other vaccines approved by Ireland are Moderna, Pfizer, Janssen, and AstraZeneca.
Slovenia
The other vaccines approved by Slovenia are Moderna, Pfizer, Janssen, and AstraZeneca.
Spain
The other vaccines approved by Spain are Moderna, Pfizer, Janssen, and AstraZeneca.
Other countries that have approved Covishield for entry
At present, 96 countries have agreed to the mutual recognition of vaccination certificates and also recognize Indian vaccination certificates of travellers fully vaccinated with Covishield/WHO approved/nationally approved COVID-19 vaccines. Among the 96 countries are Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Australia, Canada, Kyrgyzstan, The United Kingdom, The United States, Mauritius, Russia and Mongolia that have approved Covishield for incoming travellers.
