Bharat Biotech Waiting for WHO Feedback
NEW DELHI, Sept 18: The day India added 35,662 new Coronavirus cases on Saturday, Bharat Biotech said it has submitted all the data pertaining to Covid-19 vaccine “Covaxin” to the World health organisation for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) and is awaiting feedback from the global health watchdog.
The WHO is currently reviewing the data submitted by the vaccine maker and the date for a decision on the jab is yet “to be confirmed,” according to the update available on WHO website.
“#COVAXIN clinical trial data was fully compiled & available in June 2021. All Data submitted for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) Application to World Health Organization in early July. We have responded to any clarifications sought by #WHO and are awaiting further feedback,” Bharat Biotech tweeted.
As a responsible manufacturer with past approvals for its other vaccines, the company said it would not find it appropriate to speculate or comment on approval process and its timelines, it further said.
“We are continuing to work diligently on obtaining WHO EUL at the earliest,” the vaccine maker added in a series of tweets.
In an update on its website, the WHO said it began rolling data of the vaccine on July 6. Rolling data allows the WHO to start its review right away, as information continues to come in, to accelerate the overall review process.
Meanwhile, India recorded 35,662 new coronavirus cases and 33,798 recoveries in the last 24 hours. With this, active cases have decreased to 3,40,639. Kerala on Saturday reported 19,325 new cases with a test positivity rate of 15.96 per cent. The state also recorded 143 deaths and 20,388 recoveries, taking the death toll to 23,439 and total recoveries to 42,83,963 respectively. The active cases in the state stands at 1,80,842.
Earlier in the day, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said India has administered 80 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses so far. “Standing tall against Covid-19. India administers 80 crore vaccine doses. Congratulations to the nation on this momentous feat,” Mandaviya tweeted using the hashtag “WorldsLargestVaccinationDrive”.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said it was an unforgettable and emotional moment for him as over 2.50 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses were administered in the country on his 71st birthday. Mandaviya described the feat as a “golden chapter in world history.”
With the declining figures of the new infections, the Goa state task force in a bid to revive tourism, has recommended the government to reopen all tourism activities from Monday, September 20. Casinos, spas and nightclubs can also be functional from Monday with 50 per cent capacity, provided people are fully vaccinated or produce a Covid-19 negative test report. The government will soon issue the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for this, an official spokesman said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
