With growing coronavirus incidence, the Serum Institute of India has written to the Union Health Ministry requesting that its COVID-19 vaccine Covovax be included on the CoWIN site as a heterologous booster dosage for adults, according to official sources, news agency PTI reported.
Prakash Kumar Singh, Director of the Serum Institute of India (SII), wrote the letter on March 27, they stated.
In month, the COVID-19 Working Group, led by Dr N K Arora, suggested to the health ministry that Covovax be included on the CoWIN site as a heterologous booster dosage for people who have received two doses of either Covishield or Covaxin.
ALSO READ | 'Modi Is Making This Parrot Dance': AAP's Sanjay Singh Says CBI Threatening Oppn At BJP's Behest
On January 16, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) authorised the market authorization for Covovax for patients who have received two doses of either Covishield or Covaxin. Covovax has also been authorised by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (USFDA).
Under to specific criteria, the DCGI authorised Covovax for restricted use in emergency cases in adults on December 28, 2021, in the 12-17 age range on March 9, 2022, and in the 7-11 age group on June 28, 2022.
ALSO READ | Karnataka Polls: CM Bommai To Contest From Shiggaon, JD(S)' Kumaraswamy From Channapatna
Covovax is produced using technology transferred from the US-based vaccine manufacturer Novavax. The European Medicines Agency has granted it conditional marketing authorization. On December 17, 2021, WHO designated it for emergency usage.
Novavax Inc. signed a deal with the SII in August 2020 to develop and commercialise NVX-CoV2373, its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, in India and low and middle-income nations.
(With Inputs From PTI)