News Diary
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday approved the Covovax vaccine for Emergency Use Listing (EUL), elevating to nine the number of immunisations approved to fight the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The vaccine is produced by the Serum Institute of India, under licence from Novavax, and will now be part of the COVAX facility portfolio, boosting efforts to vaccinate more people in lower-income countries.
WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, Dr. Mariângela Simão, said that “even with new variants emerging, vaccines remain one of the most effective tools to protect people against serious illness and death from SARS-COV-2.”
She said WHO hoped the new Indian-produced shots would increase access, particularly in lower-income countries, 41 of which have still not been able to vaccinate 10 per cent of their populations, while 98 countries have yet to reach 40 per cent.
