WHO EUL approval opens up Covaxin for worldwide use: ICMR DG

Following the World Health Organization's (WHO) Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargava on Wednesday said the approval has now opened up the indigenous vaccine for worldwide use.

Speaking to ANI, Bhargava said, "It is a great day for India. It is a classic example of how private-public partnership has been a success in this field. The hard work of scientists and healthcare workers has led to this approval today. This makes India very proud. We should keep up this momentum."

Asked about the significance of getting EUL from WHO, the ICMR DG said, "It means the whole world is open for us for sending this vaccine. And, in India, we have already administered a large number of doses, therefore we will be able to send this vaccine to the rest of the world."

The WHO on Wednesday granted approval for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin.

Earlier, the UN health body panel had 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.

Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and AstraZeneca and Serum Institute's Covishield are the two widely used vaccines in India.

(ANI)

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