China to Launch COVID-19 Vaccine in December

Sinopharm Chairman: Vaccine Sales Upon Completion of Overseas Phase 3 Trials
Price Below 1000 Yuan (Two Doses)

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] The Chinese state-run Global Times reported on the 18th that a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine will be released in December.

The newspaper added that the vaccine price will be less than 1000 yuan (USD 144, for two doses).

Liu Jingzhen, chairman of China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm), a Chinese bio-pharmaceutical company, stated, "Vaccine sales will begin around the end of December when overseas Phase 3 clinical trials are completed."

Chairman Liu further said, "It is not necessary for all 1.4 billion people in China to receive the vaccine," adding, "Urban workers and students should get vaccinated."

He said, "I personally received two doses of one of the vaccine candidates," and "So far, there have been no side effects."

Chairman Liu explained that the Beijing production line can produce 120 million doses annually, and another production line in Wuhan can produce 100 million doses.

Sinopharm has announced that it is conducting overseas Phase 3 clinical trials of its self-developed COVID-19 vaccine in Middle Eastern countries such as Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Meanwhile, the China National Intellectual Property Administration granted a patent for a COVID-19 vaccine applied for by the team led by Chen Wei, an academician at the Military Medical Research Institute of the Military University, and the Chinese pharmaceutical company CanSino Biologics the day before.

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