WHO calls to accelerate vaccine prequalification

The World Health Organization (WHO) is aware of the need to streamline the vaccine prequalification to speed up the application process, Director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe Hans Kluge said in an interview with TASS on the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) sidelines, Report informs.

Kluge noted that he had a great conversation with the Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, and he agrees that there is a need to make every possible effort as soon as possible to ensure widespread vaccine coverage.

WHO itself is not a regulatory body, but it does what it calls prequalification, Kluge said.

He said that the WHO gives recommendations on safety, efficiency, and quality. But of course, the organization also relies on data from the countries themselves, he added. According to him, the key message is that everyone should act and do it a little faster.