WHO clears Covid immunization for emergency use

WHO clears Covid immunization for emergency use

Overview

  • Post By : Kumar Jeetendra

  • Source: PTI

  • Date: 01 Jan,2021

The World Health Organization says it has cleared the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, meaning poorer countries may soon get access to the shooter already available in Europe and North America.

Every country which has a drug regulatory agency will need to issue its own approval for any COVID-19 vaccine, but states with weak systems usually rely on WHO to vet the shots.

The international body said late Thursday that the decision to issue its first emergency use validation for a COVID-19 vaccine”opens the door for countries to expedite their own regulatory approval processes to administer and import the vaccine.”

The UN health agency said its inspection found the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has already received clearance in the United States, Britain, the European Union and a dozen other nations,”fulfilled the must-have criteria for efficacy and safety set from WHO.”

The BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine has to be kept at ultra-frozen temperatures, a big hurdle for developing countries where the essential freezers and reliable electricity supply may not be available.

“This requirement makes the vaccine harder to deploy in settings where ultra-cold chain equipment may not be available or accessible,” WHO said, adding that it was”working to support countries in assessing their delivery plans and preparing for use where possible”.

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