With over 400 college sand universities in the US observing vaccine mandates, international students from countries deploying non-WHO-approved vaccines like Covaxin and Sputnik V are being asked to revaccinate, according to a report.
According to a New York Times report, Indian students who have been given either the Bharat Biotech Covaxin vaccine or the Russian Sputnik V shot have been asked to revaccinate upon arrival in campus. Vaccines approved in the US include those made by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson&Johnson, which are three of the five vaccines approved globally.
For about two lakh Indian students who go to study in American colleges every year, vaccine mandates could result in them being made to revaccinate—unless they take the Oxford-AstraZeneca ‘Covishield’ vaccine in India.
However, there may not be sufficient data on whether it is safe to combine vaccines from different companies. “Since COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable, the safety and effectiveness of receiving two different COVID-19 vaccines have not been studied,” said Kristen Nordlund, spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Nordlun advised that those vaccinated outside the US and asked to revaccinate should wait for atleast 28 days before taking the first dose of any of the FDA-approved vaccines.
Columbia University is one of the institutes that only accept students who have been vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine.
