Submitted all documents for Covaxin EUL to WHO: Ella

Hyderabad: Bharat Biotech has submitted all the documents required for emergency use listing (EUL) of indigenously developed Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin to the World Health Organisation (WHO), its chairman and managing director Dr Krishna Ella said on Monday.

He said this marks the beginning of the review process for the vaccine. “All documents required for EUL of Covaxin have been submitted to WHO as of July 9. The review process has now commenced with the expectation that we will receive EUL from WHO at the earliest,” said a statement by Dr Ella tweeted by Bharat Biotech's official Twitter handle.

WHO had accepted the company’s expression of interest (EOI) for Covaxin in mid-June following which the company made public, earlier this month, its final Phase-3 trials data which shows that the vaccine has an efficacy of 77.8%.

Over the weekend, during a webinar, WHO chief scientist Sowmya Swaminathan had indicated that Bharat Biotech has submitted the complete data and the global health body is expected to take a decision on Covaxin’s EUL over the next four to six weeks.

A WHO nod would be a major booster shot for Covaxin as it would grant it global acceptance and ease concerns of international travellers about travel restrictions on those who have taken vaccines that are not yet approved by WHO.