BEIJING: Only people with high exposure to COVID-19 have received vaccines for emergency use in China without showing a serious adverse effect, and the emergency use strictly follows the review procedure in China as well as WHO rules, and has been reported to the WHO for ratification, a Chinese official said on Tuesday, refuting media reports that China has made its COVID-19 vaccines available to the general public.
Chinese major vaccine producer China National Pharmaceutical Group or Sinopharm said on Tuesday that it only started its urgent use of the vaccine in China, adding that the company has already prepared itself for massive production as long as the vaccine candidates are put on the market.
Some Western media reported that China is now offering its “experimental vaccines” to the general public such as students and workers who travel abroad, expanding the use of its vaccines that have not been put on the market yet. However, officials from the National Health Commission refuted those reports, clarifying that the vaccines are still for emergency use, and therefore align with relevant laws in China.
The emergency use of vaccine candidates has followed a rigorous review and approval procedure in China and is accordance with the WHO rules, and so far, all those who have received the vaccines under the emergency use plan have shown no severe adverse reactions, Zheng Zhongwei, an official from the National Health Commission in charge of technology development, told a press conference on Tuesday. After approval of the emergency use in China, China also briefed the representative office of the World Health Organization on the matter to obtain their ratification and support, the official added. Medics, workers for anti-epidemic prevention and control work, border control staff and those who ensure city operations and management fall into the category of those covered by the emergency use plan, Zheng noted. – The Daily Mail-Global Times News exchange item
