Rahul Yadav and his wife Aditi took the India-made vaccine, Covaxin, when they were in India in June and after coming to Australia, they say that they were not able to register the vaccine in Australian Immunization Register as Covaxin is not verified here. While Rahul went ahead and took Pfizer jab again, Aditi says that she is apprehensive to take another vaccine.
“I was not able to register Covaxin in my vaccination record despite showing proof of my vaccination,” says Rahul.
A woman receives Covishield vaccine against the coronavirus at a vaccination center in Mumbai, India,Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021.(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) Source: AP
not able to register Covaxin in my vaccination record
“When I consulted my GP in Australia, he advised me to take a Pfizer jab. Back in India my GP told me that Pfizer can be taken as a booster dose. So, I have now taken the first dose of Pfizer and I will have to take the second dose, too, on top of the fact that I had already been vaccinated.”
Why not Covaxin?
Aditi is concerned that she might not be considered fully vaccinated to avail the freedom privileges of the NSW government from October 11 just because she has been inoculated with a vaccine overseas.
“Covaxin and Covishield were the only two vaccines available at that time when we were in India, and we had to take it as it was the only protection to us against the virus.”
“I don’t want to take another vaccine just to get it registered here when I have already been given one in India. I have been trying to upload my vaccine certificate, but surprisingly the system did not recognize Covaxin. While Johnson & Johnson, Sinofarm, Pfizer and AstraZeneca are accepted here, why not Covaxin? Considering I have taken vaccination overseas, when the lockdown ends, will I be considered fully vaccinated? Will I be able to avail the freedom privileges? Will I be excluded just because I haven’t taken a vaccine that is not approved here? Will I be able to travel with my family when everything opens up? Should I wait till December 1 to enjoy my freedom? There is no clarity in the Australian Immunisation Register about how and when they are going to acknowledge overseas vaccination. If they release an official statement regarding this, we will not feel left out.”
Healthcare workers prepare to escort passengers into a hotel quarantine facility at Novotel Hotel South Warf in Melbourne, Monday, December 7, 2020. Source: AAP
It is not an easy road till now
While India’s Covishield is considered to be registered here, Abhilash Jagannadh says that the pathway to upload overseas vaccination is not easy.
“I approached one of the GPs to enrol my vaccine into the health records. I provided the vaccination certificate, passport details and other necessary documents to register my vaccination in Australia Immunization History. Unfortunately, they didn’t get a go-ahead from the government to register my vaccine into the system. A friend from Victoria has approached their health registry and checked on this vaccination and they have received a positive reply saying that it can be approved. I approached the GP again with this reference and I hope to resolve the issue this time. “
“It is not an easy road till now as there is no official documentation where one can go and refer to.”
Hospital workers assisted by parents administer doses of COVID-19 vaccine to children at the Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Source: EPA
Need more clarity
“As vaccines are life-savers, we couldn’t analyse at the time of administration whether the vaccine would be approved in Australia or not,” says Balaji Kannan, who had taken Johnson & Johnson in the USA and managed to receive his vaccination certificate in Australia after many trials.
“When my GP couldn’t upload my vaccine in the AIR, I was going in circles from my health, police department to AIR to check the procedure to enrol my vaccination. There was an alarming answer from one of the executives that I would be considered non-vaccinated and so I will have to take Pfizer or AstraZeneca here in Australia. There was no clarity at that time on how they were going to treat overseas vaccination. Just for the sake of getting into the approved list of vaccines, I was not ready to take another vaccine. I patiently waited until my overseas vaccination was finally accepted.”
‘Overseas vaccines still under consideration’, says Federal Department of Health
A spokesperson from the Federal Department of Health says, “Work is underway to support the recognition of vaccines which people have received overseas.
The Department is working with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) to identify the overseas vaccines currently available internationally and to assess the protection offered.
Currently, only COVID-19 vaccines registered for use in Australia by the TGA can be reported to the Australia Immunisation Register (AIR).
Australia Immunisation Register has TGA approved vaccines only
At this time, this is the AstraZeneca Vaxzevria (formerly COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca), Pfizer Cominarty and Moderna Spikevax vaccines. Changes are in progress to add the Janssen-Cilag COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen (also known as the Johnson and Johnson vaccine).
The reporting, and treatment, of other international COVID-19 vaccines in the AIR is still under consideration. Further enhancements to the AIR are expected in the near future to allow the reporting of these vaccines.”
A health worker administers the COVISHIELD vaccine for COVID-19 at a residential area in Ahmedabad, India, Sunday, April 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Source: AP
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