The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday granted emergency use authorization to China's Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine. With this, it became the second Chinese jab to receive the WHO's green light. According to experts, this vaccine can be administered to people above 18 years of age. The difference between the first and second doses will be between 2 and 4 weeks.
The WHO in a statement, said, "WHO today validated the Sinovac-CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use. The move gives countries, funders, procuring agencies and communities assurance that it meets international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing".
Prior to Sinovac, the organisation has also given emergency use authorisation to vaccines being developed by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and the AstraZeneca jab. In the midst of the coronavirus epidemic, the vaccine is likely to be included in the Covax global vaccine-sharing scheme, which aims to provide equitable access to doses around the world, particularly in poorer countries.
Meanwhile, Mariangela Simao, the WHO's assistant director-general for access to health products said, "The world desperately needs multiple Covid-19 vaccines to address the huge access inequity across the globe. We urge manufacturers to participate in the Covax facility, share their know-how and data and contribute to bringing the pandemic under control."
The agency further said, "WHO recommends the vaccine for use in adults 18 years and older, in a two-dose schedule with a spacing of two to four weeks. Vaccine efficacy results showed that the vaccine prevented symptomatic disease in 51 percent of those vaccinated and prevented severe Covid-19 and hospitalisation in 100 percent of the studied population."
