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Coronavirus pandemic
Opinion
SCMP Editorial

Editorial | WHO’s Sinovac approval boosts virus battle

  • Not only does the decision enhance local and international confidence in the Chinese-made jabs, but also helps address the inequality poorer countries face when trying to access vaccine stocks

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A woman receives the first shot of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine from a paramedic at a vaccination centre in Lahore, Pakistan, on Thursday. Photo: AP

The approval of Sinovac Biotech vaccines for emergency use by the World Health Organization is a shot in the arm for the global battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Not only does it enhance local and international confidence in the Chinese-made jabs, but also helps address the inequality poorer countries face when trying to access vaccine stocks.

With no fewer than 430 millions doses of CoronaVac having been administered across the globe so far, the decision was just a matter of time. The fact that the jabs have been in use in dozens of countries even without the WHO’s blessing underlines their importance.

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But the global health watchdog has given the go-ahead not out of political expediency, but scientific assessment.

01:30

WHO approves Sinovac Biotech’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency use

WHO approves Sinovac Biotech’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency use

An expert panel began its review in early May, taking into account clinical data and manufacturing practices.

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