Today's announcement marks a significant milestone in bringing a pandemic vaccine to market in Europe,' the company added.

'Only three months after the declaration of the pandemic by the WHO, Novartis was able to ship the first batches of our pandemic vaccine under quarantine to governments in Europe pending EU approval,' said Andrin Oswald, CEO of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics.

This CHMP positive opinion paves the way for EU approval, which will allow governments to begin their vaccination campaigns with the goal of reaching more patients before the rapidly spreading virus reaches them, Oswald added.

The pharma major, however, did not give details of the number of doses it has despatched or the countries which have received the first deliveries.

More than 150 countries have been affected by the new millennium's first pandemic. It has taken hundreds of lives across the globe.

In India, the virus has killed 286 people and infected more than 9,200 people till Sep 25.