'Cannot cut corners': WHO says awaiting additional information on Bharat Biotech's Covaxin

While the decision has been delayed multiple times, Bharat Biotech has maintained that it doesn’t find it “appropriate to speculate or comment on approval process and its timelines.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday said it cannot cut corners to recommend Covaxin’s inclusion in the Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for vaccination against coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The UN health agency said it is expecting one additional piece of information from Covaxin manufacturer, Bharat Biotech, which has been submitting data to the WHO on a rolling basis.

The WHO’s nod for Covaxin’s emergency use authorisation is necessary for its widespread acceptability as a safe and effective vaccine.

“We are aware that many people are waiting for WHO’s recommendation for Covaxin to be included in the #COVID19 Emergency Use Listing, but we cannot cut corners - before recommending a product for emergency use, we must evaluate it thoroughly to make sure it is safe and effective,” the WHO said in a series of tweets.

The WHO’s nod for Covaxin’s emergency use authorisation is necessary for its widespread acceptability as a safe and effective vaccine around the world. Covaxin’s emergency use listing would encourage other countries to ease travel measures for those vaccinated with the India-made vaccine.

“The timeframe for the WHO Emergency Use Listing procedure is dependent on how quickly a company producing the vaccine is able to provide the data required for WHO to evaluate the vaccine’s quality, safety, efficacy and its suitability for low- and middle-income countries,” the WHO posted on Twitter.

On Sunday, WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said that the technical advisory group will meet on October 26 to decide on the emergency use listing of Covaxin. She added that the WHO’s goal is to have a broad portfolio of vaccines approved for emergency use and to expand access to populations everywhere.

While the decision has been delayed multiple times, the Hyderabad-based company has maintained that it doesn’t find it “appropriate to speculate or comment on approval process and its timelines.”