The global initiative for equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, COVAX, Thursday called on all countries to recognise everyone who has received Covid-19 vaccine doses approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and/or the 11 Stringent Regulatory Authorities (SRAs) approved for Covid-19 vaccines as "fully vaccinated," while making travel decisions.

Covax – led by the WHO, Gavi, Unicef and CEPI – said any measure that only allows people protected by a subset of the WHO-approved vaccines to benefit from the re-opening of travel into and within that region will widen the global vaccine divide.

It will also exacerbate the inequities that are being seen in the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines and also negatively impact the growth of economies that are already suffering the most.

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"Such moves are already undermining confidence in life-saving vaccines that have already been shown to be safe and effective, affecting uptake of vaccines and potentially putting billions of people at risk," the statement reads.

At a time when the world is trying to resume trade, commerce and travel, this is counter-effective, both in spirit and outcome, it said.

COVAX commended countries that have already shown commitment to equity as well as safety by accepting travellers protected by all vaccines validated by the WHO Emergency Use Listing and/or the 11 SRAs approved for Covid-19 vaccines.

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"We call on other nations and regions to do the same," it said.

COVAX was built on the principle of equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines to protect the health of people all across the globe. That means protecting their lives and livelihoods, including their ability to travel and conduct trade.

It is the only global initiative that is working with governments and manufacturers to ensure Covid-19 vaccines are available worldwide to both higher-income and lower-income countries.