WHO likely to take decision on emergency use of Covaxin soon

Bharat Biotech has now started uploading their data on our portal and that is the next vaccine that will be reviewed by our experts committee, said the global health body’s chief scientist

NEW DELHI

The World Health organisation (WHO) is likely to take a decision on including Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin in the emergency use list (EUL) within four to six weeks, Soumya Swaminathan, the global health body’s chief scientist has said.

Speaking at a webinar organised by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Swaminathan said the WHO is reviewing Covaxin as its manufacturer Bharat Biotech is now uploading its entire data on the health body’s portal.

According to WHO guidelines, EUL is a procedure to streamline the process by which new or unlicensed products can be used during public health emergencies.

“There is a process to be followed for EUL and pre-qualification of vaccines under which a company has to complete phase 3 trials and submit the whole data to the regulatory department of WHO which is examined by an expert advisory group,” Swaminathan said.