The makers of Covaxin, Bharat biotech have started picking up stocks of its unused Covid-19 vaccines, and re-labeling them with an updated expiry date, reports India Today.
This process of re-labeling and updating of the expiry date comes after the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved the extension of the vaccine’s expiry date from nine to 12 months.
This directive by the DCGI came after stability studies showed that the vaccine is good up to 12 months. However, earlier, the vaccine was permitted to be used only up to six months.
Every vaccine is produced has an expiry date and the shelf life is determined after various tests are conducted to assess how long a vaccine can stay stable and sterile in different environments and temperatures.
In November 2021, Bharat Biotech had received an extension of 12 months on the shelf life of its Covid vaccine Covaxin and immediately the company started to pick up the unused stock of Covaxin so it can be re-label with the new expiry date.
The recovered stock will be used for the ongoing vaccination drive and for vaccination of children in the age group 15-18, which is set to begin from Monday.
As per data ascertained from the CoWIN, over six lakh registrations have been received till Sunday evening as India gets ready to vaccinate 15 to 18-year-olds from January 3.
In other news, India will send half a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Afghanistan and it will be one of the largest-ever humanitarian assistance projects received by that country after it was taken over by the Taliban. This comes after the World Health Organisation gave its much-delayed approval to this frug.
Taliban’s “Permanent Representative Designate” to the United Nations, Suhail Shaheen told The Hindu that, “his organisation has welcomed the initiative..as our people are passing through a critical time now. We welcome and appreciate humanitarian assistance by your country. It is a positive humanitarian step,”.
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