WHO approved Sinovac vaccine for global use

The Chinese laboratory Sinovac Biotech Ltd. received long-awaited approval from the World Health Organization (WHO) for its COVID-19 vaccine, paving the way for a wider deployment of the controversial vaccine in countries in difficulty of supply.

The WHO has recommended its use for people over 18 on a two-dose schedule with an interval of two to four weeks between them, according to a statement released Tuesday.

Finally, the world recognizes the benefits of Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine

The emergency use granted to the Sinovac vaccine This is the second administered to a Chinese vaccine against covid, after state laboratory Sinopharm Group Co. obtained WHO clearance for emergency use in early May. This provides additional vaccination options for the global Covax mechanism, a program supported by the WHO and other global health groups dedicated to ensuring that all countries have access to vaccines, especially the poorest countries that have been excluded. because the richest monopolize most of the existing countries. supply in the world.

Vaccines already WHO Approved for emergency use are those of Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE, AstraZeneca Plc, Johnson and Johnson and Moderna Inc.

Key backup

WHO is giving global legitimacy to a Chinese vaccine that has encountered problems over concerns over its effectiveness after divergent data was reported at testing sites. This could reassure developing countries that do not have their own regulatory bodies and rely on WHO advice on which vaccines to use safely. Sinovac has shipped 380 million doses since the end of last year to countries and regions ranging from Hong Kong to Zimbabwe.

The vaccine, called CoronaVac, has the lowest efficacy rate reported in clinical trials among the major. It was found to be only 50.7% effective in preventing symptomatic covid in a trial in Brazil, barely exceeding the minimum threshold required by drug regulators around the world. But evidence is emerging that it is much more efficient in field use: In a recent study of around 130,000 Indonesian healthcare workers, it protected 94% against symptomatic infections, 96% against hospitalization and 98% against death.

Coronavirus: China approved the widest use of its Sinovac vaccine

the Infections are also rebounding in some countries that have implemented the Sinovac vaccine, such as Chile, raising questions about its effectiveness, although the hasty reopening and spread of viral variants also play a role in new outbreaks.

WHO is also leading the way for countries to allow entry of people who have received the Sinovac vaccine, even if it is not approved for local use. Ahead of a scheduled reopening for vaccinated tourists this summer, the European Union said member countries may consider opening their borders to people who have WHO-approved vaccines. The company has also started to send data continuously to the European Medicines Agency.