Coronavirus: Brazil signs agreement to produce virus vaccine from Chinese lab
- Some 9,000 volunteers have signed up to be part of clinical trials from next month
- “The studies show that the vaccine could be distributed by June 2021,” if tests prove conclusive, Sao Paulo governor Joao Doria said
Brazilian officials on Thursday announced an agreement with China’s Sinovac Biotech to produce its coronavirus vaccine in the state of Sao Paulo, where tests involving 9,000 volunteers are to begin next month.
Brazil has the world’s second-highest coronavirus caseload after the United States, with more than 770,000 confirmed infections and nearly 40,000 deaths.
Sao Paulo governor Joao Doria told a news conference that the Butantan Institute, Brazil’s leading research centre, had reached a technology transfer agreement with Sinovac Biotech.
“The studies show that the vaccine could be distributed by June 2021,” if tests prove conclusive, Doria said.
“This agreement would allow us to produce at large scale and immunise millions of Brazilians.”
Sinovac Biotech, one of four Chinese laboratories authorised to conduct clinical vaccine trials, said a month ago that it was prepared to produce 100 million doses of the vaccine under the commercial name Coronavac.