-By ArdorComm News Network
April 11, 2023
The inclusion of Covovax from Serum Institute as a heterologous booster dose for adults on the CoWIN portal is reportedly approved by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in light of the rising COVID-19 cases in various regions of the nation, according to official sources on Monday.
A price of Rs 225 per dose plus any relevant GST would probably be listed for Covovax on the portal in a few days. The action follows a letter that Prakash Kumar Singh, head of the Serum Institute of India (SII), sent to the Union health ministry on March 27, according to the sources.
Singh had stated in his letter to the ministry that Covovax is a top-notch vaccine that has been approved by the DCGI, WHO, and USFDA and that it should be listed on the CoWIN portal as a heterologous booster dose for adults, according to an official source.
After receiving Covishield or Covaxin vaccinations, individuals can receive Covovax. The COVID-19 Working Group, led by Dr. NK Arora, also suggested this month that the vaccine be added to the portal as a heterologous booster dose for adults who have received two doses of either Covishield or Covaxin.
The market authorization for Covovax for people who have received two doses of either Covishield or Covaxin was granted by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on January 16. The WHO and USFDA have both given Covovax their approval.
The DCGI had approved Covovax for limited use in emergency situations for adults on December 28, 2021, for the 12–17 age group on March 9, and for children aged 7–11 on June 28, 2022, subject to specified criteria. Covovax is produced using technology that was transferred from Novavax.
It has received conditional marketing authorization from the European Medicines Agency. The World Health Organization (WHO) authorised its listing for emergency use on December 17, 2021.
With NVX-CoV2373, a COVID-19 vaccine candidate, being developed and commercialised in India and low- and middle-income countries, US-based vaccine manufacturer Novavax Inc. signed a licence deal with the SII in August 2020.