(August 9, 2021) Serum Institute of India’s Adar Poonawalla recently announced that he has set aside ₹10 crore to fund the mandatory quarantine stipulation for Indian students studying abroad. Given that SII’s Covishield, the Indian version of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is yet to get approval for travel without quarantine in some countries, Poonawalla has decided to lend a helping hand to students looking to join their universities.
“Dear students travelling abroad, as a few countries are yet to approve COVISHIELD as an acceptable vaccine for travel without quarantine, you may have to incur some costs. I have set aside Rs10 crore for this, apply below for financial support if needed,” Poonawalla tweeted last week.
According to the stipulation, Indian students will have to undergo a 10-day quarantine at a place of their choosing as they travel abroad to join university. Only those who have been fully vaccinated in the UK, EU, and USA will be exempted from quarantine. Although the WHO has cleared Covishield for emergency use, it is yet to get approval from the European Medicines Agency. On the other hand, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, the other vaccine in use in India, is yet to receive an emergency use listing from the WHO.
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