HONG KONG: Hong Kong has recognised Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical firm Bharat Biotech's Covaxin on its approved COVID-19 vaccine list. This comes days after Covaxin received the emergency use listing (EUL) from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
As many as 96 countries have so far recognised Covaxin and Covishield. Canada, the US, Australia, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Russia, and Switzerland, are among the 96 nations who have given approval of both India manufactured vaccines.
Last week, the WHO granted approval for Emergency Use Listing of Covaxin and said that the Bharat Biotech's vaccine was found to have 78 per cent efficacy against the COVID-19 of any severity, 14 or more days after the second dose.
"Covaxin was found to have 78 per cent efficacy against COVID-19 of any severity, 14 or more days after the second dose, and is extremely suitable for low and middle-income countries due to easy storage requirements," WHO had said.
The UN health body's emergency use listing procedure assess the vaccine under the procedure based on the review of data on quality, safety, efficacy, a risk management plan and suitability in low- and middle-income countries.
The indigenous, inactivated vaccine--Covaxin-- is developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech's BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) high containment facility located in Genome Valley in Hyderabad. The vaccine is formulated from an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 antigen and is presented in single-dose vials and multidose vials of 5, 10 and 20 doses.