Kathmandu: To integrate pandemic vaccines in national immunisation programme in countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region, vaccine regulators, and officials from WHO today began deliberating strategies to enable member countries to transition from the use of COVID-19 vaccines under Emergency Use Authorization to a regular marketing authorization. Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh at the start of the three-day meeting, said,
Even though the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic is over, the virus is still circulating. We need to make sure people continue to stay protected from existing and future variants. For this, it is crucial that regulatory authorities of Member States are better equipped to take considered decisions to grant long-term authorization to COVID-19 vaccines and introduce them in national immunisation programmes as per requirements.
Following unprecedented global collaboration and efforts to combat COVID-19, multiple vaccine products were developed. To facilitate their availability and use during the health emergency, most national regulatory agencies established Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for COVID-19 vaccines based on the Emergency Use Listing (EUL) by WHO.
Since their introduction, more than 3.35 billion COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in ten member countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region under the Emergency Use Authorization mechanism.
Also Read: Covishield Booster Shot Significantly Enhances Antibody Levels Against Covid: Study
During the three-day regional workshop on ‘Conversion of Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to full Marketing Authorization (MA) for pandemic vaccines including COVID-19’ organised by WHO, members of the National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs), National Control Laboratories (NCLs) of Member countries and experts from WHO and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Australia will deliberate on several issues and examine key considerations to meet regulatory requirements and licencing regulations for pandemic vaccines.
Converting emergency use authorisation to regular marketing authorisation of COVID-19 vaccines is expected to be based on a full analysis of clinical data with a longer period of follow-up. It will also provide the most updated technical data on vaccines and their efficacy and provide updates on stability profiles.
Earlier this month, WHO released a road map on the use of COVID-19 vaccines. This Roadmap addresses the evolving public health needs at the present time with Omicron and its sublineages dominating circulation globally and in the context of high population-level immunity, using a base case scenario that assumes that the virus will continue to evolve but cause less severe disease with possible surge in infections that will require booster doses to maintain protection in the high priority groups.
Also Read: Covid Vaccination Provided 60 Per Cent Protection Against Post-Discharge Mortality: Study
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
