I can't cut corners, I have to make sure it's safe and effective ': WHO on Covaxin approval

Claiming it cannot "cut corners" before recommending a COVID19 vaccine for emergency use, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday requested more information from Bharat BioTech to approve its vaccine against the coronavirus, Covaxin. WHO has stressed that it must evaluate the vaccine thoroughly to ensure that it is "safe and effective".

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, which developed Covaxin, had submitted an EOI (expression of interest) to the WHO on April 19 for the vaccine's Emergency Use List (EUL). In a series of tweets, the WHO said: “We are aware that many people are waiting for the WHO recommendation for Covaxin to be included in the # COVID19 emergency use list, but we cannot cut Roundabouts Before recommending a product for emergency use, we must evaluate it.

It also said that Bharat Biotech has been submitting data to WHO on a rolling basis and WHO experts have reviewed these data. "WHO is expecting one additional piece of information from the company today. When the information provided addresses all questions raised, WHO and the Technical Advisory Group will complete the assessment and come to a final recommendation whether to grant EUL to the vaccine, it said.

The WHO has said that the timing of its EUL procedure depends on how quickly a company, which makes the vaccine, is able to provide the necessary data to the WHO to assess the quality, safety, efficacy and the suitability of the vaccine for low and middle income countries.

Covaxin is one of two COVID vaccines used by India in its nationwide vaccination campaign. According to the WHO, requests for prequalification or registration under the GUE procedure are confidential and if an evaluated product meets the criteria for registration, the WHO will publish the results in detail.