Abstract

This interim guidance has been developed based on the advice issued by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) at its 5 January 2021 extraordinary meeting.

On 31 December 2020, WHO listed the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 for emergency use, making the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine the first to receive emergency validation from WHO since the outbreak began a year earlier. The WHO Emergency Use Listing Procedure (EUL) is a risk-based procedure for assessing and listing unlicensed vaccines, therapeutics and in vitro diagnostics with the ultimate aim of expediting the availability of these products to people affected by a public health emergency.

Background material leading to the attached recommendations can be found here.

  • SAGE