The vaccine is produced by the Serum Institute of India, under licence from Novavax, and will present be part of the COVAX facility portfolio, boosting efforts to vaccinate much radical successful lower-income countries.
WHO Assistant-Director General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, Dr. Mariângela Simão, said that “even with caller variants emerging, vaccines stay 1 of the astir effectual tools to support radical against superior unwellness and decease from SARS-COV-2.”
She said WHO hoped the caller Indian-produced shots would increase access, particularly successful lower-income countries, 41 of which person inactive not been capable to vaccinate 10 per cent of their populations, while 98 countries have yet to reach 40 per cent.
Emergency use
According to WHO, the procedure to suffice for emergency use assesses the quality, information and efficacy of the vaccines. The approval also allows countries to expedite their ain regulatory process.
The Technical Advisory Group for Emergency Use Listing (TAG-EUL), convened by WHO and made up of experts from astir the world, determined that the vaccine meets WHO standards for extortion against COVID-19, that the benefits far outweighs immoderate risks, and that it can beryllium utilized globally.
Covovax is a subunit of the vaccine developed by Novavax and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). It requires 2 doses and is unchangeable astatine 2 to 8 °C refrigerated temperatures.
This week, a meeting of WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts connected Immunization (SAGE) besides reviewed the vaccine.