WHO grants emergency approval to second Chinese vaccine
The World Health Organization has approved the emergency use of a COVID-19 vaccine made by Sinovac.
This will pave the way for a second vaccine produced in China to be distributed among developing countries.
The UN health agency gave the green light to the two-shot vaccine on Tuesday as the jab “meets international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing”, read a WHO statement. The vaccine is produced by the Beijing-based pharmaceutical company Sinovac.
“The world desperately needs multiple COVID-19 vaccines to address the huge access inequity across the globe,” said Dr Mariângela Simão, WHO Assistant Director General for Access to Health Products. “We urge manufacturers to participate in the COVAX Facility, share their know-how and data and contribute to bringing the pandemic under control.”
After being added to the WHO emergency listing, a jab can also be included in COVAX – a global platform that aims to guarantee equitable access to vaccines to the world’s poorest countries. Currently, only AstraZeneca and some Pfizer jabs are flowing through the scheme.