The approval of the vaccine developed by Sinopharm's China
National Biotec Group (CNBG) affiliate is the first for general public use
among a handful of Chinese coronavirus vaccine candidates in various stages of
trials.
China could grant conditional approval for vaccines that are
yet to complete clinical trials if the vaccine is deemed urgently needed to
cope with major public health emergencies and its benefits outweigh the risks,
Chen Shifei, an official with National Medical Products Administration, told
the briefing.
No detailed efficacy data of the vaccine has been publicly
released, but a Beijing unit of CNBG said on Wednesday that its vaccine is
79.34 per cent effective in preventing people from the disease based on interim
data.
The approval comes after the UAE became the first country
earlier this month to roll out the Sinopharm vaccine to the public.
While China has been slower than several other countries in
approving Covid-19 vaccines, it has been inoculating its citizens for months
with three different shots still undergoing late-stage trials.
China launched an emergency use programme in July aimed at
essential workers and others at high risk of infection and as of the end of
November had administered 1.5 million doses using atleast three different
products — two developed by CNBG and one by Sinovac.
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