
EU holding back approval for Indian-made AstraZeneca vaccine 'discriminatory', say experts
India Today
Experts say the decision of European Union regulators to hold back approval for Covishield, AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine made in India, is discriminatory and unscientific.
After Dr. Ifeanyi Nsofor and his wife received two doses of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine in Nigeria, they assumed they would be free to travel this summer to a European destination of their choice. They were wrong. I realise that a lot of Indians who have taken COVISHIELD are facing issues with travel to the E.U., I assure everyone, I have taken this up at the highest levels and hope to resolve this matter soon, both with regulators and at a diplomatic level with countries. The couple - and millions of other people vaccinated through a U.N.-backed effort - could find themselves barred from entering many European and other countries because those nations don't recognize the Indian-made version of the vaccine for travel.
Legal immigration to the US in 2025 has seen one of its sharpest declines since the pandemic. About 2,50,000 fewer visas in total were issued compared to 2024, reported The Washington Post. The drop has been global, but India stands out as one of the worst affected, alongside China. Visa approvals for the two countries fell by a combined 84,000.

Oil and gas refineries and hubs are up in flames not just in the Middle East, but also in Russia and the US. Crude oil prices have surged over $100 a barrel. With the energy infrastructure in the Middle East likely to take years to be rebuilt, the world could be set for the biggest oil disruption in history.











