Covaxin approval: Hyderabad cardiologist says Diwali has come early to India

Hyderabad: Lauding the World Health Organization's authorization of Covaxin for Emergency Use Listing, Dr.M.S.S Mukharjee, top-rated cardiologist in Hyderabad, called it a great day for all Indians. While expressing gratitude to WHO, Government of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharat Biotech and National Institute of Virology, Pune, Mukharjee said Diwali has come early to India.

Keeping high hopes, he said India and Bharat Biotech can play a major role and promise WHO a billion vaccines in 2022. He was mentioning about WHO's attempt to establish vaccine equity by collecting vaccines from all over the world and distributing it to underdeveloped countries. "Covaxin can help WHO by contributing liberally to the facility," said Mukharjee.

Referring to impediments faced by expatriates in acceptance of the vaccine in other countries, Mukharjee said with this approval, a lot of countries can accept Covaxin and import it. Students, job seekers can go to different parts of the world. Their vaccine status will be accepted in other countries as well. At times, they were earlier forced to take vaccines again in those countries.

"A totally indigenously produced Covid vaccine, Covaxin has got WHO approval for EUL. It was not easily achieved. Phase III, II and I trials results were thoroughly analyzed much beforehand. But they wanted extra information which was provided by Bharat Biotech," said Mukharjee.

"The Covaxin was against a routine variant of Covid with 77.8% efficacy and against delta variant, the efficacy was 66.5%. It is a great matter of pride as it is a totally indigenous vaccine. However, EUL does not include pregnant women, but indicated for everyone above the age of 18," he added.

The long-awaited approval was granted on Wednesday. The WHO made the announcement after the Technical Advisory Group (TAG), an independent advisory committee of the body recommended EUL status for Covaxin. "WHO has granted emergency use listing (EUL) to #COVAXIN (developed by Bharat Biotech), adding to a growing portfolio of vaccines validated by WHO for the prevention of COVID-19," the global health body said in a tweet.