COVID-19 Vaccine Latest Update: WHO Accepts Bharat Biotech's Expression of Interest for COVAXIN Emergency Use Listing, Awaiting Phase-3 Trials Data
COVAXIN, India's first indigenously-developed vaccine against coronavirus (COVID-19), has inched a closer to get recognition from the World Health Organisation or WHO.
New Delhi, June 18: COVAXIN, India's first indigenously-developed vaccine against coronavirus (COVID-19), has inched a closer to get recognition from the World Health Organisation or WHO. COVAXIN is developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech. The WHO has accepted Bharat Biotech's expression of interest (EoI) for COVAXIN with regard to emergency use listing (EUL), as per the latest WHO EUL guidance document dated June 16, uploaded on the WHO website. Indians Given Covaxin May Not Be Able to Travel Abroad As Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 Vaccine Yet To Get Approval From WHO and Major Countries.
The WHO is waiting for Bharat Biotech to submit the entire phase-3 clinical trials data. In COVAXIN's phase-3 trials, 25,000 volunteers across India participated. An interim analysis had indicated an overall efficacy of 78 percent. The COVID-19 vaccine was granted emergency use approval in India by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on January 3 this year. It is one of the three vaccines being administered in the country. Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN Offers Protection Against Beta And Delta Variants of Coronavirus, Claims Study.
A pre-submission meeting of the Indian vaccine maker with WHO officials is scheduled to take place on June 23. India's Ministry of External Affairs is coordinating with Bharat Biotech to secure WHO recognition for the COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccines, made by Oxford-AstraZeneca (Serum), Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Janssen and China's Sinopharm are on the EUL. Once COVAXIN gets place in WHO's emergency use listing, concerns about travel restrictions being imposed on those who have taken jabs would be put to rest.
COVAXIN has been approved by less than 10 countries so far and none of them being the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Australia or New Zealand. Apart from India, countries that approved Covaxin are Guyana, Iran, Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Paraguay, Philippines and Zimbabwe.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 18, 2021 08:34 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).