Vaccine maker Bharat Biotech on Wednesday said the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has approved the extension of shelf life of its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin up to 12 months from the date of manufacture, said the company in a statement.
Covaxin initially had a shelf life of six months when it had received an emergency use approval. “This approval of shelf life extension is based on the availability of additional stability data, which was submitted to CDSCO,” Bharat Biotech said in a tweet.
The shelf life extension has been communicated to “our stakeholders,” it added.
This approval comes in the backdrop of the World Health Organization (WHO) debating on whether to include Covaxin in their vaccine list for emergency use. Many Indians are waiting with bated breath for the approval to be given since Covaxin has not been recognised by several foreign countries hampering international travel.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi too tried to push the WHO to give its official seal of approval for the vaccine by stating that India is ready to produce about 5 billion vaccines next year to help the world to fight against the pandemic.