courtesy-Mumbai Mirror
Students who got themselves vaccinated by India’s indigenous Covaxin or Russian made Sputnik V are now asked to get re-vaccinated when over 400 colleges and universities of the US. This comes after World Health Organization (WHO) has not granted approval to Covaxin and Sputnik V yet, as reported by ANI News Agency.
An Indian student, Milloni Doshi, 25 years old, has taken two shots of Covaxin and has been asked to get herself revaccinated with a different vaccine before she enters the campus of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where she is due to start her master’s degree this year.
Since colleges are asking those students who have taken shots of Covaxin or Sputnik V to get re-vaccinated, it has created a medical and logistical conundrum. Existence of any such data claiming the combing of two vaccines from different companies to be safe is absent thereby creating a serious concern.
Fixing an appointment for a vaccine acceptable in the US campuses is a difficulty for the Indian students. Around 2,00,000 international students are sent from India every year for further education and dealing with such situations is a challenge for the students. In order to cushion the situation, emergency clinics are announced to be commenced by six regional governments in India for students going to US universities. While biopharmaceutical company Ocugen Inc, a Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech, plans to have exclusive manufacturing, co-development and commercialization rights of its Covaxin in Canada, in addition to its existing United States Rights.