Amid surging Covid-19 cases in the US, American tennis legend Jimmy Connors has asked the government to allow Covaxin vaccine shots for use in the country. The star player called on the Biden government and the country’s regulatory authority to recognize India’s indigenously developed coronavirus vaccine for its vaccination program.
Connors urged the US government to allow Covaxin “get in the game.” Taking to his official Twitter handle, Connors asked the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow the Indian vaccine into its vaccination program. “You always talk about Pfizer- J&J- Moderna vaccines — may be a nod to Covaxin – ocgn – an opportunity to have an option – a choice- allow Covaxin to get in the game– I’m no Dr.- but the others have had a chance- why not #covaxin,” Connors tweeted. He also tagged various US news agencies on the post.
Covaxin is developed by Hyderabad-based Indian pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the National Institute of Virology, the Indian Council of Medical Research (NIV-ICMR). It is administered in a two-dose regimen, 28 days apart. The vaccine was approved for emergency use in India for people aged 18 and above. The World Health Organization (WHO) too added the vaccine to its list of approved emergency use of Covid-19 vaccines last month.
The WHO had granted approval for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for Covaxin after thorough research. It was recognized after a Technical Advisory Group determined if the Covid-19 vaccine met WHO standards for protection against the coronavirus.
