WHO's nod for Covaxin is global approval for PM Modi's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 3 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took to Twitter on Wednesday to congratulate Indians over the emergency use approval of Covaxin by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and said that this achievement is an international approval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' programme.
"WHO has approved India's indigenously made Covid-19 vaccine for Emergency Use Listing (EUL). This achievement is an international stamp on the capabilities of Prime Minister Narendra Mod's "Atmanirbhar Bharat' Programme. Congratulations to all the Indians," CM Yogi tweeted.
The WHO has issued an emergency use listing (EUL) for India's indigenous vaccine Covaxin, adding to a growing portfolio of vaccines validated by WHO for prevention of COVID-19.
In a tweet the world body said that the Technical Advisory Group, convened by World Health Organisation (WHO), has determined that the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine meets WHO standards for protection against COVID-19.
"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 #COVID19," WHO said in a tweet.
"The Technical Advisory Group, convened by WHO and made up of regulatory experts from around the world, has determined that the Covaxin vaccine meets WHO standards for protection against #COVID19, that the benefit of the vaccine far outweighs risks and the vaccine can be used," it added.
The global health body said that the Covaxin vaccine was also reviewed by WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), and recommended the use of this vaccine in two doses, with an interval of four weeks, in all age groups 18 and above.
Earlier, the WHO panel had sought additional clarifications from the manufacturer of Covaxin, in order to conduct a final EUL risk-benefit assessment for global use of the vaccine.
Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and AstraZeneca and Serum Institute's Covishield are two widely used vaccines in India against COVID-19. WHO has so far approved COVID-19 vaccines of Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-SK Bio/Serum Institute of India, Johnson & Johnson - Janssen, Moderna, and Sinopharm for emergency use. (ANI)