WHO clears India’s homemade Covaxin for global use; eases overseas travel & export

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday granted Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for Covaxin, the Covid-19 vaccine developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech.

The WHO’s decision implies that indigenously developed Covaxin meets the standards set by it for protection against the coronavirus disease.

It also removes to a large extent the uncertainty around overseas travel by Indians who have been vaccinated with Covaxin.

Thirty-eight countries that have bilateral agreements with India currently recognise Covaxin; the WHO clearance is likely to prompt many other countries around the world to open their doors to those inoculated with the vaccine.

India has so far administered 12.14 crore doses of Covaxin across the country. The WHO’s decision has come more than fours months after it started conducting emergency use listing (EUL) assessment for global use of the vaccine.

“This emergency use listing expands the availability of vaccines, the most effective medical tools we have to end the pandemic,” Dr Mariângela Simão, WHO assistant director general for access to medicines and health products said in a statement.