Hundreds of thousands have been given Covid-19 vaccines without a single infection, Chinese drug firm says
- An official from China National Biotec Group says the evidence from an emergency use scheme suggests the products are working
- Company is also confident its vaccines can offer protection for up to three years
Zhou Song, secretary for the commission for discipline inspection with China National Biotec Group, also said the company’s two candidate vaccines were likely to protect people for up to three years.
Zhou told China National Radio on Monday that the firm’s vaccines were the most widely used in the emergency scheme, adding: “Hundreds of thousands have taken the shot and no one has shown any obvious adverse effects or got infected.”
CNBG’s two vaccines are still undergoing phase three trials for safety and efficacy in several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Peru, Morocco, Argentina and Jordan.
China’s emergency vaccine scheme began in late July and allows high-risk groups – including health care workers, diplomats and people who work abroad – to receive vaccines that have not yet been approved by regulators.
Zhou said that this group included tens of thousands of people who work overseas adding that the lack of infections “proves the effectiveness of the vaccines”.