NEW DELHI: An expert panel of the central drug regulatory authority has recommended market authorisation for Serum Institute of India’s Covid vaccine, Covovax, as a heterologous booster dose for adults who have been administered two doses of Covishield or Covaxin.
SII director (government & regulatory affairs) Prakash Kumar Singh had recently written a letter to DCGI for approval of Covovax booster dose for those aged 18 and above in view of escalating Covid situation in some countries, sources said. “The subject expert committee (SEC) of the Central Drug Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) on Wednesday deliberated on the issue and recommended for market authorisation of Covid jab Covovax as a heterologous booster dose for adults who have been administered two doses of Covishield or Covaxin,” said an official.
The DCGI had approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28, 2021, in the 12-17 age group on March 9, 2022 and also in children aged 7-11 years on June 28, 2022 subject to certain conditions. Covovax is manufactured through technology transfer from Novavax. It was granted emergency-use listing by the WHO on December 17, 2021.
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