China plans to start using coronavirus vaccine by end of year even if trials have not been completed
- Gao Fu, head of the country’s Centre for Disease Control, says use could be fast-tracked for selected groups and in emergencies
- Scientists may not have the time to follow normal protocols because of unique aspects to virus that causes Covid-19
China is working on a plan to give some groups a Covid-19 vaccine by the end of the year even if trials are not complete by then, according to the head of the country’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gao Fu said the National Immunisation Programme was drafting guidelines to determine who would be eligible to receive the vaccine.
With the number of daily reported infections in China now in single figures, vaccine developers could struggle to complete the final phase of trials because they will have not enough cases to draw comparisons with.
“The National Immunisation Programme is paying close attention and studying what groups of the population can take the shots, when to take them and what may constitute emergency use of vaccines,” Gao said on the sidelines of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in Beijing on Saturday.
“I believe we will decide based upon the specific situations as we will not be following the usual protocol, otherwise time will be lost. Nor can we [decide] based on our knowledge of coronaviruses because the virus is very unique,” he said.