The World Health Organization approves the use of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine
The World Health Organization said today, Tuesday, that it had approved the use of the “Covid-19” vaccine produced by Sinovac Biotech in emergency situations, paving the way for the use of the second Chinese vaccine in many countries.
And the organization's approval of the emergency use of the vaccine gives a signal to the national regulators regarding the safety and efficacy of the product. It will also allow the vaccine to be included in the global Kovacs program to provide vaccines mainly to poor countries, which are facing major supply problems due to the suspension of exports from India.
The independent panel of experts said in a statement that it recommended the Sinovac vaccine for adults over 18 years of age, with a second dose given after a period of two to four weeks. There is no upper age limit, as the data suggest that the vaccine is likely to have a protective effect on older adults.
The WHO Technical Advisory Group, which began meeting on May 5, made the decision after reviewing the latest clinical data on the safety and efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine as well as the company's manufacturing practices.
This is the second Chinese vaccine to be included in the World Health Organization's list of vaccines against "Covid-19", after the approval on May 7 of the vaccine produced by Sinopharm.
A third Chinese vaccine, produced by Can Sino Biologics, submitted clinical trial data, but no date has been set for its review before the World Health Organization.
Reuters
