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French-Austrian biotech firm Valneva on Tuesday said its COVID-19 vaccine received emergency authorisation for use in Bahrain, the first approval for its jab.
Valneva committed to supplying the Gulf kingdom with one million doses in an advance purchase agreement last year and plans to deliver the first batches at the end of March.
The jab, which uses the traditional technology of inactivated virus, “will offer an alternative vaccine to the Bahraini population and medical community”, said Valneva president Thomas Lingelbach.
Bahrain has reported more than 1,400 COVID-related deaths and cases exceed 500,000. More than 70 percent of the population has received at least one vaccine dose.
Valneva says it remains “determined” to gain further authorisation for the VLA2001 jab. It hopes to receive conditional approval for use in the European Union by the end of March.
The company has agreed with the European Commission to supply the bloc with up to 60 million doses by 2023.