COVID-19 Vaccine COVOVAX: WHO approves emergency use of Serum Institute’s Covid vaccine

Dec 18, 2021, 11:50 IST

Covovax WHO approval: World Health Organisation has granted emergency use approval to COVOVAX Coronavirus Vaccine which has been manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) under the license of the US company Novavax.

SII's Covovax vaccine
SII's Covovax vaccine

Covovax vaccine in India: The World Health Organisation announced that it has given its approval for the emergency use of COVOVAX Coronavirus Vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine has been manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) under the license of the US company Novavax. The global health body, while announcing the emergency use of Covovax, stated that it issued the emergency use listing for Covovax, further expanding the basket of WHO-validated Covid vaccines against the Covid virus. The move of giving emergency use approval to Covovax will boost the ongoing efforts of vaccinating more people in lower-income countries.

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What does Emergency use approval from WHO means?

The emergency use approval from the World Health Organisation is a prerequisite for being on the Covax drug list as well as for the international procurement.

Covovax gets emergency use approval from WHO:

Covovax by Serum Institute of India was assessed under the WHO Emergency Use Listing procedure. It was based on the review of data on the safety, quality, and efficacy, programmatic suitability, a risk management plan, and manufacturing site inspections carried out by the Drugs Control General of India (DCGI).

Covovax efficacy-

The Technical Advisory Group for EUL which was convened by World Health Organisation and experts from around the world determined that the Covovax vaccine meets the global health body’s standards for the protection against Coronavirus.

The group also came to the conclusion that the benefit of the Covovax vaccine far outweighs any risks and that the Serum Institute of India’s vaccine can be used globally.

Serum Institute of India’s Covovax vaccine

The Covid-19 vaccine named CovovaxTM is produced by the Serum Institute of India under the license from Novovax. Covovax by SII requires two doses and it is stable at 2 to 8 degree Celsius refrigerated temperatures.

The vaccine is also part of the COVAX facility portfolio, giving a much-needed boost to the ongoing efforts of vaccinating more individuals in developing and lower-income countries.

Covovax is the Indian version of the Novovax vaccine of the US brought in by the Serum Institute of India for children.

Covovax in India

The Serum Institute of India in October 2021 had put an application to the Drugs Controller General of India for the grant of market authorization of Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations.

Earlier in June 2021, SII had announced that it began the production of the first batch of Covovax vaccine after the clinical trials were launched in March.

List of Vaccines approved by WHO

Nine Covid-19 vaccines, including Covovax or Novovax, have been given the emergency or full use approval by WHO

1. Pfizer

2. Oxford-AstraZeneca (Covishield)

3. Oxford-AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria)

4. Sinopharm

5. Moderna

6. Janssen

7. CoronaVac

8. Covaxin

9. Covovax

Shailaja Tripathi is an educational content writer with 2 years of experience. She is a Masters in Political Science from Delhi University and also holds a Bachelors in Education. At jagranjosh.com, she creates content for school students and college audiences. You can reach her at shailaja.tripathi@jagrannewmedia.com
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