After a much wait, the World Health Oganisation on Wednesday recommended Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin, according to a PTI report.
The World Health Organization technical committee today met for a decision on giving an emergency use listing (EUL) to Covaxin, which amounted to a recognition and helped pave the way for people who have taken the dose to qualify for vaccine mandates in other countries.
Bharat Biotech had been stuck in a regulatory loop, with independent technical experts of the UN health body taking longer to analyse the data that previously disclosed timelines.
The WHO is in the process of evaluating Covaxin's clinical trial data for use of EUL.
The TAG on October 26 had sought "additional clarifications" from the company for Covaxin to conduct a final "risk-benefit assessment" for Emergency Use Listing of the vaccine.
"The Technical Advisory Group of WHO has recommended Emergency Use Listing status for Covaxin," a source told PTI.
The TAG-EUL is an independent advisory group that provides recommendations to WHO on whether a COVID-19 vaccine can be listed for emergency use under the EUL procedure.
Covaxin has demonstrated 77.8 per cent effectiveness against symptomatic COVID-19 and 65.2 per cent protection against the new Delta variant.
In June, the company said it concluded the final analysis of Covaxin efficacy from Phase 3 trials.
Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and AstraZeneca and Oxford University's Covishield are the two widely used vaccines in India.
