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WHO approves Serum Institute of India’s Covovax for emergency use

The World Health Organization announced on Friday that the coronavirus vaccine Covovax, made in India, had received emergency authorisation.

WHO approves Serum Institute of India Covovax for emergency approval gcw
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New Delhi, First Published Dec 17, 2021, 9:00 PM IST

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that the coronavirus vaccine Covovax, made in India, had received emergency authorisation. The vaccine, developed by Serum Institute of India under licence from the US-based Novavax, will now be distributed as part of the global vaccine-sharing system Covax, "giving a much-needed boost to ongoing efforts to vaccinate more people in lower-income countries," according to the World Health Organization.

The World Health Organization said in a statement that it has approved an emergency use listing (EUL) for NVX-CoV2373, increasing the basket of WHO-validated vaccinations against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer of the Serum Institute of India, stated that this breakthrough represents "another milestone in our fight against COVID-19." "Covovax is now World Health Organization-approved for emergency use, demonstrating exceptional safety and effectiveness." "I'd want to thank everyone for a fantastic partnership," he continued.

Covovax is based on Nuvaxovid, a vaccine developed by Novavax that is presently being evaluated by the European Medicines Agency. The WHO stated that it will express an opinion on Nuvaxovid after the EMA delivers its recommendation. The EMA has stated that it will have a meeting on the subject on December 20. This is the ninth COVID-19 vaccine to be approved for emergency use by WHO.

Also Read | Plan to launch Novavax COVID vaccine for children in 6 months: SII CEO Adar Poonawalla

Covovax is a vaccine subunit created by Novavax and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). The vaccination takes two doses and is stable at refrigerated temperatures ranging from 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.

 

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