"I have got two doses of Covishield": UN General Assembly President

New Delhi : The President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid talked in favour of India's COVISHIELD. He said that he has taken two dozes of the vaccine and same is the case with many countries across the world.

"On vaccines, that's a very technical question you have asked me. I got Covishield from India, I've got the two doses. I don't know how many countries would say that Covishield is acceptable or not, but a large portion of the countries have got Covishield," Shahid said during his first press conference on Friday.

The Covishield vaccine, which has been developed by British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, is manufactured in India by Pune-based Serum Institute of India.

India exported over 66 million of vaccine doses to nearly 100 countries through grants, commercial shipments and the COVAX facility. The Maldives, which is the home country of Shahid, was among the first nations to receive the doses in January.

The issue has made headlines after the United Kingdom refused to give any respite from mandatory quarantine to Indian travellers vaccinated with two doses of Covishield. 

Under the new British rules, Indians will have to undergo a 10-day quarantine. British officials said the UK has issues with India's vaccine certification process and not with the Covishield vaccine.