Covaxin 'extremely suitable' for low, middle-income countries due to easy storage requirements: WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that Covaxin -- COVID-19 vaccine developed by Bharata Biotech -- is extremely suitable for low and middle-income countries due to easy storage requirements.

The UN health body -- which granted approval for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) of Covaxin on Wednesday -- said that the Bharat Biotech's vaccine was found to have 78 per cent efficacy against the COVID-19 of any severity, 14 or more days after the second dose. "Covaxin was found to have 78 per cent efficacy against #COVID19 of any severity, 14 or more days after the second dose, and is extremely suitable for low- and middle-income countries due to easy storage requirements," WHO said in a tweet on Wednesday.

The UN health body's emergency use listing procedure assess the vaccine under the procedure based on the review of data on quality, safety, efficacy, a risk management plan and suitability in low- and middle-income countries.

The vaccine is formulated from an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 antigen and is presented in single-dose vials and multidose vials of 5, 10 and 20 doses.

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO's South-East Asia Regional Director, has congratulated India on the emergency use listing of Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin on Wednesday.

"Congratulations India for Emergency Use Listing of its indigenously produced #COVID19 vaccine COVAXIN," said Dr Singh in a tweet.

The WHO panel had earlier sought additional clarifications from the manufacturer of Covaxin, in order to conduct a final EUL risk-benefit assessment for global use of the vaccine.

The approval was done on the recommendation of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for Emergency Use Listing (TAG-EUL), an independent advisory panel that provides recommendations to WHO on whether a COVID-19 vaccine can be listed for emergency use under the EUL procedure.

( With inputs from ANI )

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