China "If COVID-19 Situation Worsens, Vaccinate Medical Staff by Year-End"

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] Chinese health authorities announced that newly developed COVID-19 vaccines could be administered to medical personnel first by the end of the year.

Gao Fu, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, hinted at the possibility of vaccine use during a welcome ceremony for returning COVID-19 medical teams held in Beijing on the 20th, stating, "If an urgent situation arises due to the spread of COVID-19, the vaccine could be used for medical personnel first around the end of the year."

Director Gao said, "Currently, recombinant COVID-19 vaccines (adenovirus vector) have entered Phase 2 clinical trials in China, and some inactivated vaccines are in Phase 1 clinical trials. Additionally, some are about to enter Phase 1 trials," adding, "We believe that with everyone's efforts, the vaccine will be developed in a short time."

He continued, "If the vaccine development schedule follows normal procedures, vaccines could be available by the end of this year or early next year. However, if the situation worsens, some medical institutions might be allowed to use the vaccine around the end of the year. But this would be for emergency use only and not for the general public," he explained.

In this regard, China's state-run Global Times reported that China's COVID-19 vaccine development capabilities are among the most advanced in the world, especially noting that the inactivated vaccine sector is leading globally thanks to early involvement in development.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.