Bharat Biotech submits application for WHO emergency use listing of COVAXIN

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 25

Bharat Biotech, the manufacturer of India’s first indigenous Covid 19 jab – COVAXIN – on Tuesday said it was expecting WHO’s emergency use listing for the product between July and September this year.

The company said in a statement that regulatory approvals for COVAXIN were in process in more than 60 countries, including the US, Brazil and Hungary.

“Emergency use authorisation has been obtained in 13 countries with more to follow. Application for Emergency use listing has been submitted to WHO-Geneva and regulatory approvals are expected by July to September 2021,” the Hyderabad based firm said.

It said most countries recommend vaccinations against Covid-19.

Unvaccinated travelers can travel with negative RT-PCR tests prior to travel, in the absence of any other country specific travel restrictions.

At present WHO emergency listing from India includes only the Serum Institute made Covishield, a collaboration with AstraZeneca and Oxford University.

Bharat Biotech is currently producing roughly 1.5 crore COVAXIN doses for Indian production with Serum Institute making 6.5 crore Covishield jabs a month.

Bharat Biotech has recently tied up with three public sector undertakings to ramp up production by six to seven times.