May recommend Russian vaccine for emergency use if criteria met: WHO

Geneva [Switzerland], November 12 (ANI/Sputnik): The World Health Organization (WHO) may add Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V to the list of recommended vaccines for emergency use if the candidate meets necessary criteria, it has told Sputnik in a statement.
"The WHO has been in touch with the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, which expressed interest in applying for the WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL), and we look forward to receiving the data for their Sputnik V candidate vaccine. If a product submitted for assessment is found to meet the criteria for listing, the WHO will publish the results widely," the statement says.
The WHO emphasises that the process of submitting data on medicines for prequalification or listing for emergency use is confidential. The period of time needed to evaluate data received from the vaccine manufacturer depends on the quality of the data and on how it meets the WHO criteria.
The WHO has not yet prequalified any COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. The WHO prequalification ensures that vaccines used in immunisation programmes are safe, and efficacious and meet the recommended standards for Good Manufacturing Practice and Good Clinical Practice. (ANI/Sputnik)