GENEVA/NEW DELHI: The World Health Organization on Thursday granted emergency validation to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, paving the way for countries worldwide to quickly approve its import and distribution.
Britain launched its inoculation drive with the US-German vaccine on December 8, with the United States, Canada and EU countries following suit.
WHO said the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was the first to receive its “emergency validation” since the novel coronavirus first broke out in China a year ago.
“This is a very positive step towards ensuring global access to COVID-19 vaccines,” said Mariangela Simao, a top WHO official tasked with ensuring access to medicines.
“But I want to emphasise the need for an even greater global effort to achieve enough vaccine supply to meet the needs of priority populations everywhere,” she said in a statement.
WHO said its emergency use listing opens the way for regulators in different countries to approve the import and distribution of the vaccine.
It said it also enables UNICEF, which plays a key logistical role in distributing anti-Covid vaccines, and the Pan-American Health Organization to procure the vaccine for countries that need it.
WHO convened its own experts and those from around the world to review the data on the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine’s “safety, efficacy and quality,” weighing the benefits against the risks.
“The review found that the vaccine met the must-have criteria for safety and efficacy set out by WHO, and that the benefits of using the vaccine to address COVID-19 offset potential risks,” it said.
INDIA HOLDS KEY MEETING
A government-appointed panel of experts in India held a meeting on Friday to consider applications to approve the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines, including one developed by Oxford University in partnership with AstraZeneca. Besides AstraZeneca/Oxford’s Covishield, domestic company Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin is in the running for emergency use authorisation.
Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech have sought more time to present data on its vaccine, according to media reports. Once the vaccines are cleared by the expert panel, the applications will go to the Drugs Controller General of India, V G Somani, for final approval.
“India is taking up the vaccine programme with speed and all seriousness. At least two vaccines have sent their applications to the Drug Controller and experts for approval, their data is being examined proactively,” federal health minister Harsh Vardhan said.
Friday’s meeting comes after Britain’s Medical and Health Regulatory Authority granted emergency use approval for Covishield on Wednesday. The Indian government plans to start its vaccination drive, expected to be world’s biggest, in January. India, the second-most infected country after the United States, plans to inoculate 300 million people in the first phase by August and the affordable Oxford vaccine is its biggest hope.
The Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine maker, is making the Oxford vaccine for the Indian market and other countries in South Asia and Africa. It has produced some 50 million doses and plans to scale it up to 100 million by March.
Friday’s meeting comes a day before India conducts a trial run of its vaccination drive, across all states, in which authorities will test everything from cold-chain infrastructure and delivery systems to storage platforms.
— AFP/dpa
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