15 more nations recognise Indian Covid vaccines

New Delhi, November 26

Fifteen more countries have recognised India's Covid vaccination certificate, taking the total number of such nations that have approved India's vaccine certificate to 21, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

"Mutual recognition of Covid-19 vaccination certificates continues! Fifteen more recognitions for India's vaccination certificate," said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a tweet.

"Mutual recognition of Covid vaccination certificates with India: Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Palestine, the Philippines, San Marino, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine," the MEA said in a statement.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said earlier that nearly 100 countries had agreed to the mutual acceptance of vaccination certificates of India’s Covid vaccines and the vaccination process.

The Minister in an event on Thursday said, “Mutual recognition of vaccinations increases ease of travel for tourism and business thereby boosting economic recovery the world so desperately needs.”

Highlighting how India helped other countries throughout the pandemic, he said, “Being the pharmacy of the world, India has generously supplied HCQ tablets and other medical equipment to 27 countries. Under the Vaccine Maitri initiative, 6.63 crore doses were sent to 95 countries.”

Explaining India's strategy of curbing Covid pandemic, he said that six vaccines are approved in India, of which two are indigenously developed. Nearly 1.2 billion doses have been administered with 82 per cent Indians receiving at least one dose and 44 per cent being fully vaccinated.

“India is willing to supply Covishield and Covaxin to all the countries,” said the Union Health Minister in a meeting with the ambassadors of Latin American and Caribbean nations on Thursday. IANS