China to Start Shipping COVID-19 Vaccines
6 Minutes Read
• Expert said that as planned, there will be 600 million doses of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines ready for market launch around the world this year.
• The drug makers have yet to release any of the phase 3 data needed for full regulatory approval.
Chinese drug makers with vaccines in the final stage of clinical trials have yet to release efficacy data. Photo: AFP
Wang Junzhi, from the Chinese Academy of Engineering and also deputy head of an expert task force on vaccine development under the State Council, made the remarks at a briefing in Wuhan. “Regarding the development of COVID-19 vaccines, there will be a major news announcement in the coming one to two weeks. It’s at the final stage now,” Wang said.
“As planned, there will be 600 million doses of inactivated vaccines ready for market launch this year.” Inactivated vaccines use a conventional technique that involves killing off the virus in a lab and using it to trigger an immune response.
China has 3 vaccines in phase 3 human trials
China has three different vaccines in Phase 3 human trials, out of 14 vaccines that have reached this stage worldwide. Two vaccines developed by China National Biotec Group (CNBG) and a third by Sinovac Biotech are in the final stage of clinical trials in South America, the Middle East and Asia, but the drug makers have yet to release any of the phase 3 data needed for full regulatory approval. The companies have already built the required high-level biosafety facilities and scaled up production.
Chinese health officials stated in September that they had received approval from the World Health Organization (WHO) for their emergency use program, according to CNN. However, China has been administering the experimental vaccines to high-risk workers, such as front-line medical staff and customs and border personnel, since as early as July.
Chinese pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm announced on November 18 that nearly a million people worldwide had been given the vaccine without a single report of serious adverse reactions. The company also claims that none of the vaccine recipients were infected with COVID-19 after being vaccinated.
Orders placed
Provincial governments have begun placing orders for domestically produced COVID-19 vaccines as 600 million doses are said to be ready for market in the coming weeks, GRT Radio reports.
Sichuan province has ordered an increased volume of the vaccine, at least to vaccinate 2 million persons. Liang Zhong’an, a medical department head, said that his department received notice in late October that vaccinations were available to staff on a voluntary basis.
The cost of each dose is 200RMB and two doses, taken 28 days apart are required, along with a 28RMB service fee both times, Liang told China Daily. This is the same price as the October vaccine trial in Zhejiang province.
Source: South China Morning Post, Thats Group.
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