China has approved use of its first Covid vaccine developed by state-backed pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm
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China has approved use of its first Covid vaccine developed by state-backed pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm and reported to be 79 per cent effective
An affiliate of Sinopharm said today that its COVID vaccine is 79.34% effective
President Xi has pledged to make the country's vaccines a global public good
China's vaccine candidates are being considered by many developing countries
The efficacy rate is based on interim analysis of Phase III clinical trials of the drug, developed by the Beijing Biological Products Institute, a unit of Sinopharm subsidiary China National Biotec Group (CNBG).
It was reported that China would vaccinate as many as 50 million people from high-priority groups before the Lunar New Year holiday in February.
Zeng Yixin, an official with National Health Commission, told a briefing on Thursday that the price of the vaccine would depend on the scale of use.
However, the 'premise' was that it would be free for the public in China.
The efficacy and safety data of China-made vaccines is being closely watched by many developing countries, according to Reuters.
They have limited early access to shots developed by Western drug makers and are looking for alternatives from China and Russia.
'China's approval could boost the credibility of the vaccine,' said Dong-yan Jin, a professor at the University of Hong Kong.
'But if the vaccine wants to take a share in the global market, especially in developed countries, more data is necessary.'
Health experts warn that piecemeal data without sufficient detail could undermine confidence in vaccines.
The same Sinopharm shot announced by the United Arab Emirates on December 9 has an 86 per cent rate based on data.
A spokeswoman declined to explain the discrepancy and said detailed results would be released later, without giving a timeline.
Turkish researchers said on Thursday their interim results from a Covid-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech showed 91.25% efficacy.
There was then a confusing readout the same day from Brazil, which said the vaccine's efficacy was between 50% and 90%.
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