How Are COVID-19 Vaccines Regulated Worldwide?

The International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly developed a statement to help healthcare professionals increase trust and confidence in COVID-19 vaccines.

“The past few months have really brought home to us all the importance of confidence in COVID-19 vaccines,” stated Emer Cooke, Chair of ICMRA and the European Medicines Agency Executive Director, in a press statement issued on June 11, 2021.

“As mass vaccination campaigns continue to be rolled out, ICMRA and the WHO reaffirm their commitment to support healthcare professionals and reassure members of the public that the regulatory processes for the authorization and safety monitoring of COVID-19 vaccines are robust and driven by patient needs.”

In their joint statement, international regulators and WHO reiterates that COVID-19 vaccines undergo an extensive scientific evaluation to determine their safety, efficacy, and quality.

They also explain the measures already implemented that empower regulators to collect emerging data on vaccine safety from a wide range of sources and to take swift regulatory action to protect public health whenever needed.

The ICMRA and WHO urge healthcare professionals to diligently report adverse events they see in their patients and encourage vaccinated people to report any side effects they might experience immediately.

By doing this, regulators can assess any possible link with the vaccines and ensure that the vaccines are used most safely, said the ICMRA.

As of June 11, 2021, there are sixteen COVID-19 vaccines in use globally, with about 100 vaccine candidates in development.