COVAXIN granted WHO approval

(News 1st); The World Health Organization has granted approval for Indian drugmaker Bharat Biotech's home-grown COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use listing, paving the way for it to be accepted as a valid vaccine in many poor countries. The vaccine was approved in India in January while the third phase of clinical trials was still under way, sparking some concern and criticism. The World Health Organization tweeted that its technical advisory group had ruled that benefits of the shot, known as Covaxin, significantly outweighed the risks and that it met WHO standards for protection against COVID-19. The decision had been delayed as the advisory group sought additional clarifications from Bharat Biotech before conducting a final risk-benefit assessment for the vaccine's global use. WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization also recommended Covaxin's use in two doses, with an interval of four weeks, in age groups 18 and above. Covaxin was given emergency-use authorization in India in January even before the completion of its late-stage trial, which later found the shot to be 78% effective against severe COVID-19.