Novavax gets its first emergency use authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents falling in the age group of 12-18 years in India.

According to a statement issued by Novavax, it said that the vaccine, also known as NVX-CoV2373 is manufactured and marketed in India by the Serum Institute of India (SII) under the brand name Covovax and is the first protein-based vaccine authorized for use in this age group in India.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has issued permission for restricted use in an emergency situation for Covovax for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in individuals 12 years of age and older.

"We're proud of this first approval in adolescents given the efficacy and safety that our data show in this population and that our COVID-19 vaccine will provide an alternative protein-based vaccine option for individuals 12 years of age and older in India," said Stanley C Erck, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax.

"The approval of Covovax for adolescents 12 and older in India marks another significant milestone in strengthening our immunization efforts across India and LMICs," said Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer, Serum Institute of India.

"We are proud to deliver a protein-based COVID-19 vaccine with a favourable safety profile to the adolescents of our nation," he added.

Notably, DCGI initially granted emergency use authorization for Covovax for adults of 18 years old and above in December. In addition, Covovax has also received Emergency Use Listing (EUL) from the World Health Organization.

Also Read: Hike in Prices of Petrol, Diesel for 2nd Consecutive Day