WHO Approves Second Chinese Vaccine

The World Health Organization has approved China’s Sinovac-Corona Vac Vaccine produced by Beijing’s pharmaceutical company Sinovac for emergency use listing.

Trial reports of the Sinovac vaccine indicate that it has a 96% sufficient rate for older adults.

This gives the Chinese shot a green light for use in poor countries. The vaccine’s easy storage requirements make it manageable and highly suitable for low-resource settings.

COVAX, the global program providing vaccines mainly to poor countries, will be highly boosted by the vaccine. The program is currently face major supply problems due to reduction on Indian exports.

The program co-led by Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, WHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has plans to supply 1.3B doses to 92 lower and middle income countries mostly in Africa.

The initial plan is to supply 600M doses to Africa which will vaccinate 20% of the population.

These countries are already decrying vaccine shortages, given that the main supplier to COVAX programme, AstraZeneca, from the Serum Institute of India (SII) halted exportation to handle the crisis in India.

Countries like Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire have benefited highly from the COVAX program and will be able to receive more vaccine doses.

By Joy Ngoiri