China has given the green signal to 16 indigenous coronavirus vaccines to begin clinical trials. Of the 16, six have reached the third stage of trials, Wion reported.
According to Xinhua News, the vaccines have been developed using recombinant protein, adenovirus vector, nucleic acid, and attenuated influenza-virus technologies.
Two inactivated Chinese vaccines for Covid-19 have already hit the market on a conditional basis. These include a vaccine from China National Biotec Group affiliated with Sinopharm and the CoronaVac vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech.
Sinopharm secured approval from the government on December 30, 2020. The company has applied for similar regulatory approval for its second coronavirus vaccine. There is also a third vaccine in the pipeline, group chairman Liu Jingzhen said, as cited in the South China Morning Post.
The CoronaVac vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech received approval on February 5.
As of February 9, China has administered 40.52 million Covid-19 shots in the first phase of the vaccination drive, a National Health Commission official revealed to Xinhua News.
The country has recorded 100,727 cases of Covid-19. The death toll stands at 4,833, as per media reports.