NEW DELHI, Oct 26: The World Health Organisation (WHO) is expected to provide a big relief to the “Covaxin” users in India in the next 24 hours. A technical committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) could recommend emergency use approval to Covaxin by Wednesday, the global health body’s spokesperson said.
Margaret Harris told journalists on Tuesday that the technical advisory group is currently reviewing data on India’s indigenously-made vaccine against coronavirus disease (Covid-19). “If all is in place and all goes well and if the committee is satisfied, we would expect a recommendation within the next 24 hours or so,” Harris said at a UN press briefing in Geneva.
Millions of Indians have taken a Covaxin shot but many have been unable to travel abroad pending the WHO approval as most of the countries treated Indians administered “Covaxin” as “unvaccinated” requiring rigorous testing and compulsory quarantine before entering their respective countries. The vaccine has been developed by Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech. It had submitted the Expression of Interest (EOI) for the emergency use approval as far back as April 19, but WHO has said it needed more data from the company before showing the green light.
Without a WHO nod, the two-dose Covaxin was not accepted as a valid vaccine globally. Last Friday, a top official of the WHO said the process of thoroughly evaluating a vaccine for use and recommending it sometimes takes a long time but it has to be ensured that the right advice is given to the world.
“The World Health Organisation is very clear that we want all countries to recognise vaccines that have been given an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) by the WHO advisory process. But it’s also very important that WHO, when it makes a recommendation like that, is making that globally,” WHO Health Emergencies Programme Executive Director Dr Mike Ryan had said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Indian Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers on Saturday and discussed various issues including furthering the vaccine research. The meeting was held within days of the country achieving a key milestone of administering one billion doses of the jabs.
(Manas Dasgupta)