Central Govt Steps Up Efforts To Secure WHO Approval For Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN: Report

Union Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is set to hold a meeting with Bharat Biotech on Monday to accelerate the process of securing an approval for the indigenously developed Covaxin from the World Health Organization (WHO).

It is necessary to get this sanction so that those individuals who got the Covaxin jab are not denied to enter European nations and the US, if vaccination is made a pre-conditon to enter these nations.

WHO may pursue further clinical data and information regarding the necessary manufacturing practices of Covaxin ahead of giving its final approval.

Sources quoted in a report by the Times of India say that some countries have approved Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccines whereas others will do so once it is ready for export purposes.

India is not expected to ship Covaxin abroad anytime soon but it can be later utilized by the global vaccine alliance COVAX to supply the same to multiple developing countries.

In fact, over 40 countries have displayed an interest in Covaxin and are also satisfied with the safe, inactivated vaccine technology and ‘robust data package for safety and immunogenicity,’ Times of India reports.

Bharat Biotech had earlier said that its vaccine shows 78 per cent overall interim clinical efficacy and an astounding 100 per cent efficacy against severe Covid-19 disease.

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