China pushes to expand Covid-19 vaccine development but more work needed on trials: health official

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China is in the “leading phalanx” of vaccine developers. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 5:00pm, 4 Jun 2021Updated: 12:42am, 5 Jun 2021

China is striving to expand its Covid-19 vaccine development with 20 candidates being tested in clinical trials.

“China is in the world’s first phalanx in terms of the number of Covid-19 vaccines in the pipeline,” said Zheng Zhongwei, director of the Development Centre for Medical Science and Technology of the National Health Commission.

“But we have to admit that our vaccine companies are still behind when it comes to carrying out international clinical [trials],” he said. “We still have shortcomings in basic research of some new technologies.”

Among the 20 vaccine candidates that have entered clinical stages, eight have been approved for phase 3 trials abroad, he told the Boao Forum for Asia’s global health forum in Qingdao on Wednesday.

China had provided more than 350 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to foreign countries by May 31, he said, and had administered 723.5 million doses nationwide by Thursday.

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