Geneva [Switzerland]: WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan on Wednesday congratulated India after the World Health Organisation (WHO) granted approval for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin. “One more vaccine gets @WHO emergency use listing. Congratulations India @BharatBiotech@ICMRDELHI @MoHFW_INDIA for successful development of indigenous vaccine #Covaxin as well as for a massive vaccination program,” the WHO Chief Scientist tweeted. The WHO has issued an emergency use listing (EUL) for India’s indigenous vaccine Covaxin, adding to a growing portfolio of vaccines validated by WHO for prevention of COVID-19. The WHO said in a tweet that the Technical Advisory Group, convened by World Health Organisation (WHO), has determined that the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine meets WHO standards for protection against COVID-19. “WHO has granted emergency use listing (EUL) to COVAXIN® (developed by Bharat Biotech), adding to a growing portfolio of vaccines validated by WHO for the prevention of #COVID19,” WHO said in a tweet. “The Technical Advisory Group, convened by WHO and made up of regulatory experts from around the world, has determined that the Covaxin vaccine meets WHO standards for protection against #COVID19, that the benefit of the vaccine far outweighs risks and the vaccine can be used,” it added. The global health body said that the Covaxin vaccine was also reviewed by WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), and recommended the use of this vaccine in two doses, with a dose interval of four weeks, in all age groups 18 and above. Earlier, the WHO panel had sought additional clarifications from the manufacturer of Covaxin, in order to conduct a final EUL risk-benefit assessment for global use of the vaccine. Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and AstraZeneca and Serum Institute’s Covishield are two widely used vaccines in India against COVID-19. WHO has so far approved COVID-19 vaccines of Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-SK Bio/Serum Institute of India, Johnson 7 Johnson – Janssen, Moderna, and Sinopharm for emergency use.
