Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh appreciated India's move of giving the nod for restricted use of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.
Drugs Controller General of India VG Somani said, "the overall efficacy of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine was 70.42%, and that of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin was safe and provided a robust immune response”, Hindustan Times reported.
On the same day, Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region, tweeted - ''This decision taken today by India will help intensify and strengthen the fight against COVID-19 pandemic in the Region. The use of the vaccine in prioritized populations, along with the continued implementation of other public health measures and community participation will be important in reducing the impact of COVID-19.''
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation(CDSCO) accepted the recommendations of the Subject Expert Committee(SEC) for Oxford/AstraZeneca's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for emergency approval. Phase I, and Phase II trials for both the vaccine showed a safe and high immune response in the participants, the SEC added. The committee accessed all the data on safety and immunogenicity before making the recommendation.
Therefore, DCGI has approved the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines based on the vaccine efficiency and Phase I and Phase II clinical trial data.
The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.
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