The WHO on Friday approved the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use — the first Chinese jab to receive the WHO’s endorsement.
The UN health agency signed off on the two-dose vaccine, which is already being deployed in dozens of countries around the world.
The WHO has already given emergency use approval to the vaccines being made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, and the AstraZeneca jab being produced at sites in India and in South Korea, which it counts separately.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“This afternoon, WHO gave emergency use listing to Sinopharm Beijing’s COVID-19 vaccine, making it the sixth vaccine to receive WHO validation for safety, efficacy and quality,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference.
“The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation ... has also reviewed the available data, and recommends the vaccine for adults 18 years and older, with a two-dose schedule,” he said.
An emergency use listing by the WHO paves the way for countries worldwide to quickly approve and import a vaccine for distribution, especially those states without an international-standard regulator of their own.
It also opens the door for the jabs to enter the COVAX global vaccine-sharing scheme, which aims to provide equitable access to doses around the world and particularly in poorer countries.
“The addition of this vaccine has the potential to rapidly accelerate COVID-19 vaccine access for countries seeking to protect health workers and populations at risk,” WHO Assistant Director-General Mariangela Simao said.
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