Source::AP
TAIPEI,
China has approved a new COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, one that was developed by the head of its Center for Disease Control, adding to its arsenal. Gao Fu, the head of China’s CDC, led the development of a protein subunit vaccine that was approved by regulators last week for emergency use, the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Microbiology said in a statement Monday. It is the fourth such vaccine to be given emergency use approval. China has approved four vaccines developed by three Chinese companies for general use.
The vaccine was developed jointly by Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The team finished phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials in October of last year and is currently conducting the last phase of trials in Uzbekistan, and Pakistan.
The vaccines have previously been limited to adults 18-59 years old, as officials cited a lack of clinical trial data for those who are older, although the government appears to be signaling the limits are now being set aside. “We will promptly carry out mass vaccination of relevant populations,” Li Bin, a vice-chair on the National Health Commission, said Monday. China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported over the weekend that in certain neighborhoods in Beijing, local health centers started to offer vaccines to those aged 60 and older.
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