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Coronavirus China
ChinaScience

Do Chinese Covid-19 vaccines work, and which countries will get them?

  • As four vaccines from China undergo human trials, trust and cost issues threaten their widespread supply
  • China has promised to meet certain countries’ needs, but ‘vaccine nationalism’ and hostilities with the US may complicate matters

Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
A vaccine co-developed by CanSino Biologics is one of four Chinese candidates. Photo: Reuters
Jane Cai
China is among the world’s front-runners in developing Covid-19 vaccines. Its indications that mass production of vaccines is imminent has raised questions about capacity, efficacy and availability.
Out of 300 vaccine candidates around the world, nine are in phase 3 human trials, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Four of those are being produced in China, by Sinovac Biotech, military-affiliated private firm CanSino Biologics, and state-owned China National Biotec Group (CNBG), which has two different shots in development.

If Chinese vaccines are safe and effective, how many can be made?

Uncertainties remain, but Chinese officials are optimistic that the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines will be ready for the general public as early as November or December.

01:39

China prepares for coronavirus vaccine mass production though clinical trials are not yet complete

China prepares for coronavirus vaccine mass production though clinical trials are not yet complete
China approved three inactivated vaccines – two by CNBG and another by Sinovac – for emergency use in July. Both companies’ entry to the mass market is subject to the results of the phase 3 clinical trials.
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According to the National Health Commission (NHC), the country’s annual capacity for production of Covid-19 vaccines will reach 610 million doses by the end of this year, and is expected to increase to 1 billion doses next year. China’s population is estimated at about 1.4 billion.

What do we know about the safety and efficacy of Chinese vaccines?

Although health experts are pressing for transparency as countries race to develop vaccines under political pressure, little has been revealed to the public about the research methodology and trial protocols of the Chinese companies.

02:03

Russia approves ‘world’s first’ Covid-19 vaccine, President Vladimir Putin says

Russia approves ‘world’s first’ Covid-19 vaccine, President Vladimir Putin says
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