AstraZeneca: WHO authorizes emergency use of Covid vaccine

(CercleFinance.com) - The World Health Organization has authorized the emergency use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, including for patients of over 65, the drugmaker said on Tuesday.


The approval covers both the vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca, and the licensed product made by partner Serum Institute of India (SII), the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

AstraZeneca and SII now plan to work with WHO-led Covax global program to begin supplying the vaccine worldwide, with the majority going to low- and middle-income countries, it added.

As part of the deal, the partners said that over 300 million doses of the vaccine could be made available to 145 countries through Covax in the first half of 2021.

According to AstraZeneca's CEO Pascal Soriot, the WHO's approval shows that the vaccine can be used to help protect adults over 65 years old in countries where different variants of the virus are in circulation, an option that was subject to much debate after recent adversary rulings by health regulators around the world.

AstraZeneca shares were down 0.7% in London on Tuesday morning.

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