Decision on Covaxin clearance next week, says WHO
New Delhi: Covaxin, India's indigenously developed Coronavirus vaccine, may be cleared by the World Health Organisation as early as next week when the UN agency and an independent group of experts meet. This comes almost a week after WHO delayed the Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for Covaxin as the global body sent more technical queries to its manufacturer, Bharat Biotech.
"WHO & an independent group of experts are scheduled to meet next week to carry out the risk/benefit assessment and come to a final decision whether to grant Emergency Use Listing to Covaxin," WHO tweeted on Tuesday evening.
Bharat Biotech "has been submitting data to the WHO on a rolling basis and submitted additional info at WHO's request on 27 September," another tweet read.
"WHO experts are currently reviewing this info and if it addresses all questions raised, the WHO assessment will be finalised next week."
India logged 18,346 new infections, the lowest in 209 days, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,38,53,048, while the active cases declined to 2,52,902, the lowest in 201 days, according to the Union Health ministry data updated on Tuesday.
The death toll climbed to 4,49,260 with 263 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has remained below 30,000 for 11 straight days.
The cumulative vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 92 crore on Tuesday, the ministry said.
Over 54 lakh vaccine doses have been administered on Tuesday till 7 pm and the tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports by late in the night, it said.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court directed all hospitals which provided treatment to Covid patients to provide all necessary documents of treatment etc. to the family members of those who succumbed to the pandemic, as and when demanded.
The observations have been made in relation to documents required to establish Covid as the cause of death to enable the next of the kin to receive the ex gratia compensation being provided to families of Covid victims.
