The World Health Organisation (WHO) has rejected Serum Institute of India's (SII) proposal seeking extension of shelf-life of Covishield from six to nine months, PTI reported on Thursday, 8 April, quoting sources.
The body has reportedly rejected the proposal due to insufficient data.
WHO has also reportedly asked for a meeting with the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to discuss the issue.
In March, the Indian drug regulator had extended the shelf life of Covishield from six to nine months from its manufacturing date, PTI reported.
The DCGI had said that it has no objection with respect of 'Extension of Shelf Life of Covishield Vaccine' in multi-dose glass vial (10 dose-5ml) from six months to nine months.
"You are permitted to apply the shelf life of nine months to unlabelled vials available on hand, subject to the condition that the details of such stock, batch-wise, shall be submitted to this office and Central Drugs Laboratory, Kasauli," Drugs Controller General of India V G Somani said in a letter, according to PTI.
Meanwhile, the UK drug regulator has said that the shelf life of the vaccine is six months.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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