Mariangela Simao, Assistant Director General (WHO), said at a briefing in Geneva that the decision on the approval of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine can be made by the World Health Organization in early or mid-September. The briefing was broadcast on the organization’s YouTube channel.
According to the WHO representative, the process of approving the Russian vaccine is underway.
“At the moment, we are working on the legal procedures. I can’t give you the exact date. But there is good news. Perhaps the issue will be resolved in early or mid-September… Since July, we have been studying the possibility of including this vaccine in the COVAX mechanism,” Simao said. She added that the WHO is studying five more vaccines, including the Indian Novavax.
COVAX is an international mechanism aimed at ensuring equal access of all states to coronavirus vaccines. It includes drugs approved by WHO for use in an emergency situation. Those already approved include Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV, Oxford-AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson.
