COVOVAX      

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 Context

• The World Health Organization issued an emergency use listing (EUL) for NVX-CoV2373, expanding the basket of WHO-validated vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Details

• Covovax is the Indian version of a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Novavax Inc and manufactured under licence by the Serum Institute of India (SII).
• It is a recombinant protein vaccine that uses spike proteins to teach the body how to develop immunity against the novel coronavirus.
• Covovax has greater efficacy as a booster dose than Covishield.
• Covovax requires two doses and is stable at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius refrigerated temperatures.

Final word

• This listing aims to increase access, particularly in lower income countries, 41 of which have still not been able to vaccinate 10% of their populations, while 98 countries have not reached 40%.
• WHO approval is a good news for India, and that the government shouldn’t waste much time in rolling out Covovax as a booster dose.

Read: https://www.iasgyan.in/blogs/types-of-vaccines

https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/booster-dose

https://www.who.int/news/item/17-12-2021-who-lists-9th-covid-19-vaccine-for-emergency-use-with-aim-to-increase-access-to-vaccination-in-lower-income-countries