WHO to list Chinese vaccines for emergency use

BEIJING. – Sinovac and Sinopharm COVID- 19 vaccines are likely to be included into the emergency use list of the World Health Organization (WHO) by the end of this month despite WHO experts saying that data of the vaccines on elderly people are lacking.

Chinese vaccine makers Sinopharm and Sinovac have presented data on their Covid-19 vaccines indicating levels of efficacy that would be compatible with those required by the WHO standard, which means an efficacy of about 50 percent and preferably close to or above 70 percent, WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) chair

Alejandro Cravioto said on Wednesday,.

The SAGE hopes to issue recommendations on those Chinese vaccines by the end of April, Cravioto said, noting that the vaccines would first require emergency use listing from the WHO or from what the agency considers to be a stringent regulatory authority before SAGE experts can make recommendations about their use.

Chinese producers Sinopharm and Sinovac have applied to be included into WHO’s emergency use list. The WHO sent experts to investigate their production workshops in Beijing in February.

Chinese experts deemed that the lack of data on the elderly group would not be an issue to hinder the process.

The data Sinopharm and Sinovac submitted to the WHO was the data from their Phase III clinical trials. And there were not so many elderly volunteers who participated in the Phase III trials.

But as trials and application of the vaccines proceeds, China has expanded domestic vaccination programme to people aged 60 and above. Many foreign countries applying Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines, including Brazil, Chile and Turkey, even prioritized elderly people in their vaccination drives. – Global Times.