The World Health Organization on Friday announced it has granted emergency approval to the India-manufactured coronavirus vaccine Covovax.
The jab, produced by Serum Institute of India under licence from the US-based Novavax, will now be distributed as part of global vaccine-sharing system Covax, "giving a much-needed boost to ongoing efforts to vaccinate more people in lower-income countries", WHO said in a statement.
"Even with new variants emerging, vaccines remain one of the most effective tools to protect people against serious illness and death from SARS-COV-2," said Mariangela Simao, the WHO's access to vaccines chief.
"This listing aims to increase access particularly in lower-income countries, 41 of which have still not been able to vaccinate 10 percent of their populations, while 98 countries have not reached 40 percent," she said.
Covovax requires two doses and is stable at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius refrigerated temperatures.
Katherine Abell and Yusuf Hamied Amit Roy 
The album gifted to Yusuf Hamied Amit Roy 
Todd visit to Cipla in Bombay in 1960 (from the album) Amit Roy 
Abell-Hamied plaqueAmit Roy 
Sanders-Hamied plaque Amit Roy 
Yusuf Hamed & Katherine Abell meet students Amit Roy 
Yusuf Hamied and Jeremy Sanders meet studentsAmit Roy 
(From left) Katherine Abell. Jeremy Sanders. Deborah Prentice. and Yusuf Hamied Amit Roy 
James Keeler Amit Roy 
Shankar Balasubramanian with Yusuf Hamed Amit Roy 
