NEW DELHI, Dec 17: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday announced it has granted emergency approval to the India-manufactured coronavirus vaccine Covovax giving a major boost to the mass vaccination programme particularly in the relatively poorer countries.
The jab, produced by Serum Institute of India under licence from the US-based Novavax, will now be distributed as part of global vaccine-sharing system Covax. “It will give a much-needed boost to ongoing efforts to vaccinate more people in lower-income countries,” WHO said in a statement.
“Even with new variants emerging, vaccines remain one of the most effective tools to protect people against serious illness and death from SARS-COV-2,” said Mariangela Simao, the WHO’s vaccines chief.
“This listing aims to increase access particularly in lower-income countries, 41 of which have still not been able to vaccinate 10 percent of their populations, while 98 countries have not reached 40 percent,” she said. Covovax requires two doses and is stable at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius refrigerated temperatures.
(Manas Dasgupta)