WHO nod for Covaxin likely this week

New Delhi: The World Health Organisation's approval for India-made Covid-19 vaccine is expected to be delivered this week.

The indigenous vaccine 'Covaxin' is manufactured by Hyderabad-based manufacturer Bharat Biotech.

An emergency approval from the WHO will allow Bharat Biotech to export Covaxin and ease international travel of people who have received this vaccine.

Covaxin is one of the three vaccines that is being administered in the country.

The drug regulator in the country has given Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) to Moderna and Johnson and Johnson. WHO's Emergency Use Listing (EUL) is a prerequisite for COVAX Facility vaccine supply to other countries.

The EUL assesses the quality, safety, and efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines, as well as risk management plans and programmatic suitability, such as cold chain requirements.

The assessment is performed by the product evaluation group, composed of regulatory experts from around the world and a Technical Advisory Group (TAG), in charge of performing the risk-benefit assessment for an independent recommendation on whether a vaccine can be listed for emergency use and, if so, under what conditions. So far, the WHO has given EUL to six vaccines.

Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech said it was exploring opportunities with its international partners who have expertise in commercial-scale manufacturing of inactivated viral vaccines.

"We want to ensure that Bharat Biotech can ably meet the demand for COVAXIN such that individuals across the country, and the globe, have access to the vaccine," chairman and managing director Krishna Ella said in a statement.