[ad_1]
The World Health Organization has granted the Oxford / AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine an emergency use list, paving the way for its more widespread global deployment, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday. .
The WHO list will apply to the portion of the vaccine that will be distributed primarily to low- and middle-income countries. Producers will be the Serum Institute of India and AstraZeneca-SKBio of Korea.
This is only the second time the WHO has granted an emergency use list, the first being for the BioNTech / Pfizer photo from December 31.
The list will mean that countries receiving the vaccine through COVAX – the global coronavirus vaccine procurement mechanism – will be able to use the WHO recommendation for their own national approval process and start receiving doses. More generally, the WHO Emergency Use List is useful for countries deciding whether or not to approve a vaccine. The first COVAX vaccines are expected to be distributed later this month.
“Countries without access to vaccines to date will finally be able to start immunizing their health workers and populations at risk, thus contributing to the COVAX Centre’s objective of equitable vaccine distribution,” said Mariângela Simão, Deputy Director General of WHO for access to medicines health products, during a press conference.
There is no need for countries to rush into bilateral deals, as such deals would increase competition for a scarce commodity and drive up prices, she added.
The announcement follows the recommendation of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization on February 10 for the Oxford / Astrazeneca vaccine for all adults, regardless of age. SAGE has also supported the vaccine in places where coronavirus variants are circulating.
The WHO has repeatedly called on drug manufacturers to submit data faster so they can speed up emergency use lists.
[ad_2]
Source link