WHO approves Chinese Covid vaccine
The World Health Organization (WHO) has granted emergency approval for the Covid vaccine created by Chinese state-owned company Sinopharm.
It's the first vaccine developed by a non-Western country to get WHO backing.
The vaccine has already been given to millions of folks in China and elsewhere.
The WHO had previously only approved the vaccines created by Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna.
But individual health regulators in a variety of countries - especially poorer kinds in Africa, Latin America and Asia - have approved Chinese jabs for emergency use.
With little data released internationally in early stages, the effectiveness of the many Chinese vaccines is definitely uncertain.
But the WHO on Friday said it had validated the "safety, efficacy and quality" of the Sinopharm jab.
The WHO said the addition of the vaccine had "the potential to rapidly accelerate Covid-19 vaccine access for countries wanting to protect health personnel and populations at risk".
It really is recommending that the vaccine be administered in two doses to those aged 18 and over.
A decision is expected in the coming days on another Chinese vaccine produced by Sinovac, while Russia's Sputnik vaccine is under assessment.
The green light from the global health body is a guideline for national regulators a vaccine is safe and effective.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it would give countries "confidence to expedite their own regulatory approval".
It also means that the vaccine can be used in the global Covax program, that was set up this past year to try to ensure fair usage of vaccines among rich and poor nations.
The decision to list the Chinese vaccine for emergency use is expected to provide a substantial boost to the scheme, which includes been fighting supply problems.
Before the WHO approval, the Sinopharm vaccine was already being trusted, with around 65 million doses administered, according to reports.
In addition to China, countries already using the vaccine include the UAE, Pakistan and Hungary.
Your choice on Friday to approve the vaccine for emergency use was made by the WHO's technical advisory group, which reviewed the most recent clinical data and manufacturing practices.
It said the vaccine's efficacy for symptomatic and hospitalized cases of Covid-19 was estimated to be 79%.
The WHO noted that few adults older than 60 were included in clinical trials, so efficacy could not be estimated for this age group. Nonetheless it said there is no reason to feel that the vaccine would act differently in older recipients.
The health body is yet to attain a decision on China's Sinovac vaccine. WHO authorities on Friday said these were awaiting additional information before they will make a recommendation.
Millions of doses of this vaccine have also already been shipped to a number of countries, that have permitted its emergency usage.
Among the Chinese vaccines' main advantages is they can be stored in a typical refrigerator at 2-8 degrees Celsius, just like the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The WHO said these "easy storage requirements" made the Sinopharm vaccine "highly well suited for low-resource settings".
