Why Does Bharat Biotech's Covaxin Need WHO's Approval?

As countries prepare to gradually restart travel & tourism after prolonged Covid-19 restrictions, there is nervousness among students about the World Health Organisation & many countries not listing Bharat Biotech's Covaxin among approved vaccines. The US, Canada, Australia, Ireland & the EU are among those do not have Covaxin on their approved list of vaccines for now. Top universities are reportedly allowing those who have received vaccines approved by the countries or WHO. WHO has Pfizer, Moderna & Covishield on its approved list but for Covaxin, it says "more information required.” Bharat Biotech, in a statement, said regulatory approvals for Covaxin are in process in "more than 60 countries" including US, Brazil & Hungary. At a meeting on May 25 with the government on the status of its application before WHO, the company reportedly said it was on track and had submitted "90 per cent of the documentation required" for WHO's authorisation. Academic sessions are set to begin by August-September in foreign universities. Covaxin and Serum Institute of India's Covishield are the two vaccines being used to inoculate people in the country. Russia's Sputnik will become the third. Covaxin was approved for emergency use in January without full clinical data, which caused a lot of controversy and was linked to vaccine hesitancy in the initial stages of the nationwide vaccine drive.