WHO welcomes India's decision giving emergency use authorization to COVID19 vaccines

New Delhi, Jan 03: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday welcomed India's decision giving emergency use authorization to COVID19 vaccines.

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region said,''This decision taken today by India will help intensify and strengthen the fight against COVID-19 pandemic in the Region.The use of vaccine in prioritised populations, along with continued implementations of other public health measures and community participation will be important in reducing the impact of COVID-19."

The approval by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) was given on the basis of recommendations submitted by a COVID-19 subject expert committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

The approved vaccines will be first offered to one crore healthcare workers, along with two crore frontline and essential workers and 27 crore elderly, mostly above the age of 50 years with co-morbidities.

The expert panel had earlier recommended granting permission for restricted emergency use of 'Covaxin' in "public interest as an abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode, especially in the context of infection by mutant strains.