- Wednesday, May 01, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi pushed for the approval of Covaxin, India’s first indigenous jab for the coronavirus, with World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the recently held G20 Summit in Rome, reports said.
Modi also said in his address that India is prepared to manufacture more than five billion doses of vaccine for coronavirus by the end of the year to help the world in its fight against the pandemic.
According to a report by News18, an advisory committee of the WHO on Wednesday (3) recommended emergency-use listing status for Covaxin, which is made by India’s Bharat Biotech.
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The technical advisory group, which grants licence to a vaccine for its emergency-use listing, had sought from Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech additional data on October 26 to conduct a final risk-benefit assessment before approving the jab for the listing. The company reportedly submitted its data last week, informed sources in the Indian government said.
Covaxin has demonstrated nearly 78 per cent effectiveness against symptomatic Covid-19 and 65.2 per cent protection against the new Delta variant.
Modi pushes for wider Covid vaccination coverage
The WHO had earlier said in a tweet that it is expecting additional information from Bharat Biotech regarding its vaccine.
“We are aware that many people are waiting for WHO’s recommendation for Covaxin to be included in the #COVID19 Emergency Use Listing, but we cannot cut corners – before recommending a product for emergency use, we must evaluate it thoroughly to make sure it is safe and effective,” it said in the tweet.
Several countries such as Oman, Iran, Mexico, Nepal, Greece and others and approved entry of people vaccinated with Covaxin in their territory.
The WHO also expressed satisfaction over Covaxin getting the nod. Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday that he was glad over the development.
“Glad to see one more vaccine, #Covaxin, being granted @WHO emergency use listing. The more products we have to fight #COVID19, the better, but we must keep up the pressure to deliver #VaccinEquity & prioritize access to vulnerable groups who are still waiting for their 1st dose,” he tweeted.
Glad to see one more vaccine, #Covaxin, being granted @WHO emergency use listing. The more products we have to fight #COVID19, the better, but we must keep up the pressure to deliver #VaccinEquity & prioritize access to vulnerable groups who are still waiting for their 1st dose. https://t.co/wCgtSSNvJ1
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) November 3, 2021
WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan also expressed her happiness over the development and congratulated India on Wednesday.
“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 India-born Swaminathan said on Twitter.
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! @mansukhmandviya @NITIAayog @SuchitraElla @DBTIndia @GaviSeth https://t.co/Fit5huxwcP
— Soumya Swaminathan (@doctorsoumya) November 3, 2021
