Covaxin, because the WHO said yes to the vaccine made in India
WHO has approved the Indian vaccine Covaxin: who produces it, how effective it is and what are the possible implications of the decision
The list of Covid vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) for emergency use is growing. India's Covaxin vaccine will now also be able to contribute to the United Nations Covax program, designed to ensure equitable global access to vaccines against the virus.
WHO approval also means that Covaxin vaccinated people will likely be able to travel to more countries, with fewer restrictions and without having to quarantine, or at least that's what India hopes.
I thank my dear friend @ScottMorrisonMP for Australia's recognition of India's COVAXIN. It is an important step forward in the post-COVID partnership between
and
.
– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 1, 2021
WHO PRODUCES IT
Covaxin, an inactivated viral vaccine, was developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the government-administered Indian Council for Medical Research.
The serum, however, recalls the BBC , had already been approved in India in January while the third phase of clinical trials was still underway, sparking concerns and criticisms.
The Hyderabad-based company applied for emergency use authorization on May 24 and began submitting safety and efficacy data on July 6, which was followed by a long and rigorous review period to ascertain the safety, efficacy and stability of the vaccine, as well as controls of the production facilities.
WHAT THE WHO SAID
On Twitter, WHO wrote that “The Technical Advisory Group (an independent group that provides WHO with vaccine recommendations) has determined that Covaxin meets the standards for protection against Covid-19 […] the benefits exceed by by far the risks ".
Covaxin – added WHO – was also examined by the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE).
ADMINISTRATION
The made in India vaccine was authorized for all over 18s in two doses four weeks apart. However, there is insufficient data to evaluate its safety or efficacy in children and pregnant women.
HOW EFFECTIVE IS COVAXIN?
WHO confirmed that Covaxin was found to be "78% effective against Covid-19 at any level of severity, 14 days or more after the second dose, and is extremely suitable for low- and middle-income countries thanks to ease of storage ".
#Covaxin was found to have 78% 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.
– World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) November 3, 2021
THE VACCINATION CAMPAIGN IN INDIA
India has so far administered more than 105 million doses of Covaxin, but Covishield, the Indian version of AstraZeneca, remains the most popular vaccine, out of 810 million injections performed.
More than 253 million people are fully vaccinated – about a quarter of the population eligible to be vaccinated – and about 653 million people have had at least one dose.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/sanita/covaxin-oms-ha-detto-si-al-vaccino-made-in-india/ on Thu, 04 Nov 2021 13:55:58 +0000.