AIPSN Issues Strong Statement After WHO Denies Covaxin Emergency Use Listing, Presses For Transparency

"This sorry state of affairs will continue as long as there is no public accountability, transparency along with scientific rigour", AIPSN stated, taking a dig at the government. 

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New Delhi: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has refused to grant ICMR-Bharat Biotech's Covid vaccine, Covaxin, emergency use listing creating a major setback for India's efforts to take its indigenous COVID vaccine to the global stage.

"All India Peoples Science Network (AIPSN) notes with sorrow and grave concern that the World Health Organization (WHO) has not granted Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for ICMR-Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin vaccine," the statement by AIPSN read. 

Aside, from this setback, Indian's who were planning to travel abroad will also face issues as Covaxin is not recognized by WHO which can prove to be a problem for students who were planning to study in other countries. 

"This sorry state of affairs will continue as long as there is no public accountability, transparency along with scientific rigour", AIPSN stated, taking a dig at the government. 

The AIPSN expressed its fear that Covaxin will face vaccine hesitancy like it did earlier this year and urged full public disclosure of trials data. 

"Covaxin will also once again face vaccine hesitancy in India as it did during the earlier controversial approvals process. AIPSN had earlier urged the public disclosure of trial data and now mourns the serious damage done to the reputation of India by this flawed application to WHO regulators, which has also besmirched the standing of Indian science and regulatory systems, which will now come under heightened international scrutiny and suspicion"

AIPSN also criticised Bharat Biotech and the makers of Covaxin for approaching the Drugs Controllers General of India (DCGI), "with grossly inadequate data from clinical trials inviting rejection, followed by behind-the-scenes arm-twisting by the Union Government resulting in grant of EUA".

The network also warned not to repeat the same mistakes while granting approval to ZyCov-D, a vaccine for children in the 12-18 age group, since its trial results have not been made public yet.

"Zydus had applied for EUA on 1st July 2021 based on interim data and obtained it on 20th August. However, this interim data has not been made public or published anywhere, even in pre-print form, raising the same concerns and criticisms as with Covaxin."

The network urged the government and those concerned to adhere to the scientific standard and conducted the analysis with complete transparency. 

"All India Peoples Science Network (AIPSN) urges the Government of India, its concerned ministries, departments, institutions and authorities of the need to adhere to scientific standards for conduct and analysis of clinical trial results, publication of results as peer-reviewed articles and complete transparency. Regulatory agencies should also assert their independence from both government and corporate interests, and make judgments based on scientific analysis"