WEB DESK
China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. on Saturday received conditional approval from Chinese authorities for its coronavirus vaccine ‘CoronaVac’ to be used for the general public in the country’s second such authorization after state-owned Sinopharm’s vaccine received conditional approval in December. The regulator National Medical Products Administration had endorsed CoronaVac for emergency use in July. Sinovac however said, final data from the trials has not been made available yet and the results of its efficacy and safety require further confirmation. The conditional approval was based on the results of the overseas Phase-III clinical trials of CoronaVac.
Experts say, China is trying hard to fulfill its bilateral exports’ commitments as it is targeting to vaccinate 50 million people by the Chinese New Year holiday that starts Feb. 11. China has also committed 10 million doses to COVAX. There were concerns when China started exporting CoronaVac vaccine which was not approved by China for its own citizens. Faced with criticism from many countries for delay in the export commitments and amid the news of vaccine alliances moving fast by India with world’s largest vaccine manufacturing capability, China’s conditional approval was eminent even without publicly available phase three trial data. India has received requests for vaccine supply from 22 nations so far. Out of these, supply has already been made to 15 nations – as grant assistance as well as contract doses.
China’s coronavirus vaccines were supposed to deliver a geopolitical win that showcased the country’s scientific prowess and generosity. However, delays, inconsistent data, spotty disclosures and the country’s attacks on other countries’ vaccines have marred its ambitious effort to put itself in a leadership role in global health.
At least 24 countries, most of them low and middle income, signed deals with the Chinese vaccine companies because they offered access when richer nations had claimed most of the doses made by Pfizer and Moderna. But the delays in getting the Chinese vaccines and the fact that the vaccines are less effective mean that those countries may take longer to vanquish the virus. Moreover, the inconsistent disclosures about the vaccines remain a problem. In the meantime, China is in the process to ramp up its vaccine production led by Sinopharm and SinoVac.
China recently said the issue of supplying Covid-19 vaccines to countries that need the jabs should not be marred by “malign competition” or “rivalry” but its tightly controlled state media is simultaneously running a smear campaign against both Indian and western vaccines. A flurry of articles in Chinese state media in the past weeks have also promoted Chinese vaccines while criticising western and Indian ones.
China’s campaign has not been without issues. Last year, media reports put out the quality control issues in Chinese vaccine industry. Several governments have been critical about Beijing’s handling, especially the lack of transparency about the virus in the early days of the pandemic. Its efforts at the start of last year to distribute masks and protective equipment to other countries came under fire amid reports of poor quality. Recent news of fake vaccines was also matter of concern as they have been reportedly exported to some countries. China said that they have informed the relevant countries about the issue. The misinformation campaign surrounding non-Chinese vaccines could further undermine its image.
Sinovac this week also released interim data for trials on elderly people, however, it cautioned that data for the protection rate among people aged 60 and above was “limited”. CoronaVac is under testing in participants aged three to 17. There had been inconsistencies in the publicly announced efficacy rates of CoronaVac, even though it continued to be approved for use in several countries. Trials in Brazil, Turkey, and Indonesia had shown wildly different efficacy rates ranging from 50.38% to 91.25%. Hong Kong, meanwhile, has still not approved CoronaVac due to lack of clinical data. Local health authorities have also insisted it provide data published in an international journal for assessment, but Sinovac has said it would take more time to compile all the necessary information for peer review.