New Delhi: Covaxin, an anti-coronavirus vaccine made in India, has almost been approved for emergency use by the Technical Advisory Group of the World Health Organization. According to PTI, the World Health Organization’s technical advisory group has recommended Bharat Biotech’s anti-Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, on the emergency use list. Sources have informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a special recommendation to the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adrenom Ghebreyesus, to approve the emergency use of the vaccine.
Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech company, which developed Covaxin, submitted an EOI to the WHO on April 19 to include the vaccine in the Emergency Use List (EUL). Since then, the World Health Organization has been able to reach this conclusion after several rounds of important meetings. The group had sought additional data from Bharat-Biotech in its October 26 meeting so that the final analysis could be done. The additional data sought included immunogenicity data of people over 60 years of age. Apart from this, data was also demanded according to gender. Last week, Bharat Biotech handed over this data on the demand of the Technical Advisory Group.
Australia has recently approved Covaxin
The Technical Advisory Group has the authority to grant emergency use licenses to any vaccine. Earlier on Monday, the Australian government has given permission to Covaxin for travel. This information was given by Australia’s High Commissioner to India, Barry O’Farrell. After the new permission, Indians who have got the vaccine will get permission. Covishield has already obtained permission in Australia.
WHO has so far given emergency use approval to seven of the world’s corona vaccines. The organization’s Strategic Advisory Group has already analyzed Covaxin. Last week, the country’s Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had also said – WHO has a system in which there is a technical committee that has to approve the vaccine.
