Oman adds Covaxin to approved list of Covid-19 vaccines

Indians travelling to Oman will not be required to undergo quarantine upon arrival as its government has added Covaxin as well to the country's approved list of Covid-19 vaccines, the Indian embassy informed on Wednesday. “All passengers from India who have received two doses of Covaxin at least 14 days before the estimated arrival date will now be able to travel to Oman without the requirement of quarantine,” the embassy, located in Muscat, shared in a press release.

However, the release clarified that the remaining Covid-19 related protocols, such as pre-arrival RT-PCR test, shall continue to be applicable. “This notification will significantly ease travel to Oman for Indian nationals who have taken Covaxin. Passengers who have taken AstraZeneca/Covishield are already permitted to travel without quarantine,” the statement noted further.

Oman's Civil Aviation Authority issued a notification on October 27 in this regard, the Indian embassy said.

The development comes even as the World Health Organization (WHO), on Tuesday, further delayed its approval for the vaccine, asking its developers, the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited, for some “clarifications.” Covaxin will next be taken up for review on November 3, the world health body said.

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Covaxin and Covishield--the Indian variant of Britain's AstraZeneca jab--are the two most widely used vaccines in India's inoculation drive, which began on January 16, days after both shots received emergency use authorisation (EUA) from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). Since then, four other jabs have received EUA from the top drugs regulator.