BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 13
Trend:
WHO only approves vaccines proven to be safe and effective, Hande Harmanci, Head of the WHO Office in Azerbaijan, told Trend.
Despite this, local relevant bodies have the authority to evaluate these vaccines and make decisions on them, she said.
“WHO has established licensing criteria for urgent use. We are ready to accept applications from manufacturers. So far, about 10 companies have applied or submitted preliminary documents. These data will be taken into account when granting a license for urgent use when the test results of the third stage of clinical tests," Harmanci noted.
The WHO representative added that more than 230 vaccines are currently in preparation, of which, at least 60 vaccines are being tested, and about 16 are in the third phase of clinical trials.
“On December 31, WHO approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for emergency use, and on January 5 reviewed information from the SAGE (WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts) on the vaccine and made recommendations for its use. Documentation for Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines is under review. Along with local regulatory structures, WHO works closely with the European Medicines Agency,” she added.