Chinese Authorities Conditionally Approve Sinovac's COVID-19 Vaccine for Release

Indonesian President Joko Widodo received his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from China's Sinovac at the Presidential Palace in the capital, Jakarta, on the 27th of last month (local time). (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] The Chinese vaccine manufacturer Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine 'CoronaVac' has received conditional approval for release from Chinese authorities.

Sinovac Biotech stated on its website on the 6th, "The National Medical Products Administration conditionally approved the domestic release of CoronaVac, developed by our subsidiary, on the 5th."

This is the second time Chinese authorities have approved the release of a COVID-19 vaccine since the state-owned company Sinopharm at the end of last year.

CoronaVac had already received emergency use authorization in China in June last year and has been used to vaccinate high-risk groups such as medical personnel.

This approval was based on the results of Phase 3 clinical trials conducted overseas.

In Turkey and Indonesia, the vaccine showed preventive efficacy rates of 91% and 65.3%, respectively, and in Brazil, its efficacy was 50.38%, slightly exceeding the WHO's recommended minimum efficacy threshold of 50% for approval.

Since the final analysis of the clinical trials has not yet been completed, a final confirmation of efficacy and safety is still required.

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