The coronavirus or COVID-19 vaccines developed in China might get ready as early as November, an official of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made an announcement. The Phase 3 clinical trials for the nation's vaccine candidates were proceeding smoothly and citizens of China can receive the shots in November or December, Wu Guizhen, the CDC biosafety expert stated in an interview with state TV late on Monday.
The East Asian country has four coronavirus vaccines in the final stage of the clinical trials. At least three of those have already been given to essential workers under an emergency use program launched in July.
COVID-19 Vaccine in China
Many people of China received the experimental vaccine without one single infection, a state-owned drug firm claimed last week. The officials said last month they are also considering increasing the scheme on people working in food markets, hospitality, public transport for preventing a possible virus outbreak in autumn and winter.
Wu mentioned that ordinary Chinese citizens can expect to get the shots soon. "It would be about November or December. Ordinary people can be vaccinated with the vaccine because according to its phase III clinical results, the current progress is proceeding very smoothly," she said.
Coronavirus Crisis
A unit of the state pharmaceutical giant China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinophatm) and the US-listed Sinovac Biotech are currently developing three vaccines under the state emergency use program. The fourth vaccine is getting developed by CanSino Biologics and got approved for use by the Chinese military in June.
Sinopharm mentioned in July that its vaccine can get ready for public use by the year-end. The worldwide vaccine makers are working fast to develop an effective vaccine against the virus that has claimed the lives of over 928,000 people globally.
The deadly virus outbreak has also infected more than 29.2 million people worldwide and an effective vaccine, according to the experts is expected by the first quarter of 2021. However, Russia had launched a vaccine in August that it claimed to be the first one to fight against the virus.
