China’s Sinopharm approved by WHO for emergency use
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday gave the green light to China’s Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, approving the vaccine to be rolled out globally. It recommends the vaccine for adults 18 years and older, in a two-dose schedule with a spacing of three to four weeks
The WHO had previously only approved the vaccines made by Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna. But individual health regulators in various countries – especially poorer ones in Africa, Latin America and Asia – have approved Chinese jabs for emergency use.
The Sinopharm vaccine is produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, subsidiary of China National Biotec Group (CNBG). The two jab vaccine is an inactivated vaccine called SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell). Its easy storage requirements make it highly suitable for low-resource settings, the WHO press release said.
China has approved about five of its Covid-19 vaccines for emergency use and especially using Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines for both at home and abroad.
