”The (third) wave may occur either due to mutations in the virus or due to the available pool of susceptible population, which in turn is also dependent on various pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions for management of the pandemic,” Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.

To a question on when the World Health Organisation (WHO) is expected to recognise Covaxin vaccine, he said its producer Bharat Biotech Limited has submitted the request along with all necessary documentation to the global body earlier this month.

Bagchi also said that more than half of the member states of the European Union have recognised Covishield, the vaccine manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India.