The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved a second Chinese corona vaccine for worldwide use.
More than three weeks ago, the vaccine from state-owned Sinopharm was found suitable through an emergency procedure. That is now also the case for the CoronaVac vaccine from Sinovac, a biopharmaceutical company in Beijing.
Both agents are already being used in China and other countries. The approval means that the product is effective and meets international safety standards. The WHO previously gave the green light for the western corona vaccines Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Janssen van Johnson & Johnson and Moderna and is still assessing the Russian Sputnik-V and the American Novavax.
The world is in dire need of multiple vaccines to address the vast inequality globally when it comes to vaccine access, says WHO’s Mariāngela Simāo. For example, the approval allows UN agencies to buy Sinopharm, and it can be distributed through the Covax program for poorer countries.
Like Sinopharm, Sinovac is recommended for everyone aged 18 and over. Two injections are needed.