Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday permits the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, making the way for global nations to quickly approve its import and distribution.
The United Kingdom(UK) had launched its vaccination process with the US-German vaccine on December 8, with the United States (US), Canada, and EU countries following the same.
As per news agency, Agence France-Presse, WHO said the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was the first to receive its “emergency validation” since the novel coronavirus first broke out in China a year ago.
Mariangela Simao, a top WHO official tasked with ensuring access to medicines said in a statement, “This is a very positive step towards ensuring global access to Covid-19 vaccines. But I want to emphasize the need for an even greater global effort to achieve enough vaccine supply to meet the needs of priority populations everywhere.”
WHO said its emergency use posting opens the path for controllers in various nations to support the import and conveyance of the vaccine.
It said it additionally enables the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which assumes a key strategic job in distributing anti-Covid vaccines, and the Pan-American Health Organization to secure the vaccine for nations that need it.
WHO convened its specialists and those from around the globe to audit the information on the Pfizer/BioNTech antibody’s “safety, efficacy, and quality,” gauging the advantages against the dangers.
“The review found that the vaccine met the must-have criteria for safety and efficacy set out by WHO and that the benefits of using the vaccine to address Covid-19 offset potential risks,” it said.