The World Health Organization has provided the Oxford / AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine with an emergency list, paving the way for a more widespread global rollout, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced Monday.
The WHO list will apply to the proportion of the vaccine that will be distributed mainly in low and middle income countries. The producers are the Serum Institute of India and AstraZeneca-SKBio from Korea.
This is only the second time WHO has awarded an emergency use list, the first being for the BioNTech / Pfizer incorporation on Dec. 31.
The list means that countries receiving the shot through COVAX – the global coronavirus vaccine delivery mechanism – can use the WHO recommendation for their own national approval process and begin receiving doses. More generally, the WHO emergency use list is useful for countries that decide whether or not to approve a vaccine. The first COVAX vaccines are scheduled for distribution later this month.
“Countries that do not have access to vaccines so far will finally be able to start vaccinating their health workers and populations at risk, contributing to the COVAX facility’s goal of fair distribution of vaccines,” said Mariângela Simão, assistant. Director General of WHO Health Products, at a press conference.
There is no need for countries to rush to negotiate bilateral deals, as these agreements would boost competition for a scarce commodity and raise prices, she added.
The announcement follows the recommendation of the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization on Feb. 10 for the Oxford / Astrazeneca jab for all adults, regardless of age. SAGE also supported the vaccine where coronavirus variants are circulating.
The WHO has repeatedly called on drug manufacturers to submit data in a timely manner so that emergency lists can be used more quickly.