The World Health Organization listed two out of the 71 vaccines from China for emergency use.
Several manufacturers from various countries are continuing their efforts to produce effective COVID-19 vaccines. But, among all, China has the highest number of vaccines undergoing research and development.
The revelation comes after the country’s top epidemiologist talked about the matter during the weekend, according to Global Times. Zhong Nanshan shared that they now have a total of 71 COVID-19 vaccines, with nine of them already in use.
71 vaccines under research and development
The health official discussed the matter during a graduation ceremony at the Shanghai Tech University in China, on Saturday. In his address, he noted that the 71 vaccines against COVID-19 are all effective against the infamous Delta variant.
This is the strain, which the World Health Organization identified as the “most transmissible” among all coronavirus variants. Reports previously stated, as well, that it has already spread across 85 countries.
Zhong Nanshan continued that the “inactivated vaccines” are also effective in “reducing the rate” of infection, as well as severe symptoms. These include the two COVID-19 vaccines that are already under the WHO’s Emergency Use Listing.
WHO’s Emergency Use Listing
The two COVID-19 vaccines from China that are in the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing are Sinovac and Sinopharm. The health agency listed the latter, which Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd produced, on May 7, 2021. As for the former, it was listed for EUL on June 1, 2021.
There are five more COVID-19 vaccines on the same list. Among all, it was the vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech that obtained the first listing, which took place on December 21, 2020.
AstraZeneca/Oxford’s Covishied and AZD1222 vaccines followed two months later and joined the list on February 16, 2021. As for the jabs from Johnson & Johnson and Moderna, the World Health Organization listed the vaccines for emergency use on March 12, 2021 and April 30, 2021, respectively.
China to study “mature vaccine technology”
On Sunday, China Vaccine Industry Association’s President also talked about the 71 vaccines in the country that are undergoing research and development. As noted, these will all “meet domestic and foreign demand” if officials approve them. Moreover, they will “provide enough doses” for everyone in the nation, if annual COVID-19 vaccinations proceeds.
Feng Duojia, then, highlighted the long-term impacts of having 71 vaccines in the process of research and development. He claimed that this gives China a chance “to study mature vaccine technology.” Accordingly, this may help possible future infectious diseases, even those that are more severe than COVID-19.
Images courtesy of South China Morning Post/YouTube