WHO to Take Final Decision on Covaxin's Emergency Use Authorisation Next Week

"WHO and an independent group of experts are scheduled to meet next week," informed the organisation in a tweet.

When will it be available? How much will Covaxin cost? Do we know enough about its efficacy and safety yet?

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The World Health Organisation and an independent group of experts are slated to meet “next week”, during which they are expected to decide on granting Emergency Use Listing to Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

Covaxin is India’s indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine.

The WHO, in a tweet on Tuesday, said:

"WHO and an independent group of experts are scheduled to meet next week to carry out the risk/benefit assessment and come to a final decision whether to grant Emergency Use Listing to Covaxin.”

Further, WHO pointed out that Bharat Biotech, has been submitting data to WHO on a rolling basis and submitted additional info at WHO’s request on 27 September.

“WHO experts are currently reviewing this info and if it addresses all questions raised,” the organisation said, adding that the WHO assessment will be finalised next week.

“The Emergency Use Listing process - done by WHO and the Technical Advisory Group of independent experts - is centred on determining if a manufactured product (e.g. a vaccine) is quality-assured, safe and effective.”

Earlier in September the WHO had further delayed the emergency use authorisation for the vaccine, stating that it has more technical queries that Bharat Biotech needs to answer before it gets approval.