The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated the Sinovac-CoronaVac Covid-19 shot produced by Beijing-based Sinovac for emergency use, adding it to the growing list of already approved coronavirus vaccines. The others are made by Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca-SK Bio, Serum Institute of India, AstraZeneca EU, Janssen, Moderna and Sinopharm. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is currently reviewing the Chinese shot.
Chinese vaccine manufacturer Sinovac has doubled projected annual output of its Covid-19 shot to 2 billion doses per year, up from the 1 billion estimated in February this year when it received Chinese government approval. The company said last week it had started up a new commercial plant.
US drugmaker Pfizer and partner BioNTech have confirmed they will temporarily reduce Covid deliveries to Europe as Pfizer revamps its designated plant in Belgium to lift production capacity to 2 billion doses per year, as announced earlier.
Marching to the tune of the groundswell generated by Western Covid-19 vaccines approved, distributed and administered in the US, UK and the EU in recent weeks, Chinese vaccine manufacturers have been beating the drum for their candidates in countries in Latin America and the Middle East as well as at home.
Chinese biotech Sinovac has published data from the Phase 1/2 trial with its Covid-19 vaccine candidate in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases. The results are said to show that the candidate is capable of inducing a quick antibody response within four weeks of immunization if given in two doses at a 14-day interval.
