WHO today validated the Sinovac-CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use , giving countries, funders, procuring agencies and communities the assurance that it meets international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing. The vaccine is produced by the Beijing-based pharmaceutical company Sinovac “The world desperately needs multiple Covid-19 vaccines to address the huge access inequity across the globe,” said Dr Mariângela Simão, WHO Assistant-Director General for Access to Health Products. It also allows countries to expedite their own regulatory approval to import and administer Covid-19 vaccines.In the case of the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine, the WHO assessment included on-site inspections of the production facility.The Sinovac-CoronaVac product is an inactivated vaccine. On the basis of available evidence, WHO recommends the vaccine for use in adults 18 years and older, in a two-dose schedule with a spacing of two to four weeks. WHO recommends that countries using the vaccine in older age groups conduct safety and effectiveness monitoring to verify the expected impact and contribute to making the recommendation more robust for all countries.

Source: Economic Times June 01, 2021 15:50 UTC