The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced that it has issued an emergency use listing for India's Covaxin vaccine, clearing the way for its use in the COVAX program that is a key part of reaching immunization targets.
The addition of another vaccine to the COVAX portfolio also comes as global cases are rising again, following several weeks of decline.
WHO OKs 8th COVID vaccine
Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech, is an inactivated vaccine given in two doses 4 weeks apart in adults. It is the eighth vaccine given emergency use approval by the WHO.
Clinical studies suggest the vaccine has 78% efficacy against any COVID-19 severity. WHO's vaccine advisors said the easy storage requirements make it a suitable option for low- and middle-income countries.
In a statement, Mariangela Simao, MD, MSc, the WHO's assistant director general for access to medicines and health products, said the emergency use listing expands the most effective tools for ending the pandemic. "But we must keep up the pressure to meet the needs of all populations, giving priority to the at-risk groups who are still waiting for their first dose, before we can start declaring victory."
The vaccine was evaluated by two WHO advisory groups, the Technical Advisory Group, which assesses if the product meets the WHO's standards for protection and weighs the benefits and risks, and the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization, which formulates recommendations.
Data for use of Covaxin in pregnant women are not sufficient for gauging safety and efficacy in the group, and studies are planned to gather more data for that population, the WHO said.
Bharat Biotech said in a press release that, as of October, production of the vaccine has scaled up to produce 1 billion doses a year by the end of 2021.
Global cases continue to climb
COVID-19 cases rose slightly last week for the second week in a row, up 3% from the week before, mainly driven by another round of surges in some European countries, the WHO said yesterday in its latest weekly update.
Deaths were also up, with an 8% rise compared with the previous week, mainly led by rises in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Western Pacific regions. The five countries reporting the most cases are the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Though cases generally declined in many world regions, many still have continuing or emerging COVID-19 hot spots. For example, in Africa, Rwanda, Comoros, and Eritrea reported sharp spikes, and in the Americas, the largest increases were reported in the Cayman Islands, Uruguay, and Puerto Rico.
More global headlines
- China's local COVID-19 cases are at nearly a 3-month high, with 93 new cases reported today that span nine provinces and the cities of Beijing and Chongqing, according to the country's National Health Commission. The rise in cases is challenging China's "zero COVID" approach and comes just months before Beijing is slated to host the Winter Olympics. Earlier this week, China's commerce ministry urged the public to stock up on essentials because of anticipated bad weather, energy shortages, and COVID-19 restrictions that could squeeze supplies.
- In Europe, Greece and Slovenia reported daily record highs for cases, and the Netherlands brought back masking requirements in stores and other public places amid its rising cases.
- The global total today climbed to 247,932,129 cases, and 5,019,613 people have died from their infections, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard.
