COVID-19: Bharat Biotech's Covaxin likely to get WHO nod this week

Last month, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had met WHO Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan and had discussed over the global health body's approval for the homegrown COVID-19 vaccine.

Representational Image (ANI)

New Delhi: The much-awaited nod by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is likely to be given this week, the ANI news agency reported on Monday (September 13, 2021). The development comes a month after Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya met WHO Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan and held discussions over the global health body's approval for the homegrown COVID-19 vaccine.

Held a meeting with Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist of @WHO

We had a productive discussion on WHO’s approval of @BharatBiotech’s COVAXIN.@DoctorSoumya also appreciated India’s efforts for the containment of #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/5gnAOQkeT3

— Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) August 12, 2021

This is to be noted that all documents required for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) have been submitted by Bharat Biotech for Covaxin to WHO as of July 9 following which the review process by the global health body had commenced.

Developed by Bharat Biotech in partnership with the National Institute of Virology (NIV) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Covaxin was approved for emergency use in India on January 3. 

Bharat Biotech in its Phase 3 trial results of Covaxin had claimed that it demonstrates overall vaccine efficacy of 77.8%. The Hyderabad-based company had said that the Covaxin has been proven 'safe' in India's largest efficacy trial and shared the final Phase-3 Pre-Print data published on medRxiv.

Meanwhile, the Office of Mansukh Mandaviya informed that India on Monday achieved the milestone of administering 75 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses. 

Tricolour is soaring high in all aspects! 

Congratulations to all countrymen, as India administers  crore #COVID19 vaccine doses, in our year of independence.#SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine#AazadiKaAmritMahotsav pic.twitter.com/0AU6LHgdKQ — Office of Mansukh Mandaviya (@OfficeOf_MM) September 13, 2021