Chinese Sinopharm "COVID-19 Vaccination Possible Within This Year"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] China’s Sinopharm, which is conducting Phase 3 clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine on 15,000 people in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), expressed optimism that the vaccine will be available for general public vaccination within this year.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 24th, Liu Jingzhen, chairman of Sinopharm, recently stated in an interview with China’s state broadcaster CCTV that vaccination could be possible within the year. He said, "The Phase 3 clinical trials that began last week in Abu Dhabi will be completed in about three months," and added, "The vaccine will be available on the market within this year."

Chairman Liu’s mention of the possibility of market release within the year came amid the World Health Organization (WHO) forecasting that the first use of a COVID-19 vaccine would only be possible early next year. Michael Ryan, WHO’s Executive Director for Emergency Preparedness and Response, said on social media on the 22nd, "Researchers are making excellent progress in developing a COVID-19 vaccine," and added that vaccination could be possible early next year.

Countries around the world are competing to be the first to market a COVID-19 vaccine. China, which has been stigmatized as the origin of the COVID-19 virus, is strengthening cooperation with countries worldwide by conducting overseas clinical trials to be the first to release a COVID-19 vaccine.

The WSJ reported that the COVID-19 vaccines jointly developed by British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University, the vaccines being developed by American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German BioNTech, and in China, vaccines developed by Sinopharm, CanSino Biologics, and Sinovac Biotech are showing rapid progress.

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