WHO approves Indian-made Covaxin vaccine
Hannah Ellis-Petersen - The GuardianAfter months of delay, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has finally given emergency approval to Covaxin, the Indian domestically developed Covid vaccine which was rolled out as part of India’s vaccination drive.
The approval is good news for Indian travellers who received the vaccine, as it will now be recognised to allow entry into countries such as the US.
“The Technical Advisory Group, convened by WHO and made up of regulatory experts from around the world, has determined that the #Covaxin vaccine meets WHO standards for protection against #COVID19, that the benefit of the vaccine far outweighs risks & the vaccine can be used across the planet,” tweeted WHO on Wednesday.
The decision by the Indian government back in January to begin administering Covaxin, developed by Indian pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech, was initially mired in controversy over concerns it was being rolled out before all the efficacy data had been released.
It was administered in much smaller quantities than AstraZeneca, the only other approved vaccine in India. Figures from September show that Covaxin accounted for just over 12% of jabs in India.
Data released in July showed that Covaxin has an efficacy of 77.8% against Covid.
On Wednesday, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted: “This is a sign of a capable leadership. This is the story of Modi ji’s resolve. This is the language of the faith of the countrymen. This is a Diwali of self-reliant India. Thanking @WHO for granting emergency use listing (EUL) to Made-in-India #Covaxin,.”
China keeps close vigil at ports to cut Covid risks
China is on high alert at its ports as strict policies on travel in and out of the country are enforced to reduce Covid risks amid a fresh domestic outbreak, Reuters reports.The National Immigration Administration (NIA) said on Thursday it would continue to guide citizens not to go abroad for non-urgent and non-essential reasons.
China aims to ensure no outbreaks among people arriving from overseas for the Winter Olympics, according to a recent state television report, citing Huang Chun, an official on the Beijing organising committee for the event.
Authorities will strive to avoid failures in virus control for the Games that would then disrupt the event or lead to clusters among residents, Huang said.
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