Coronavirus | WHO approves China’s Sinovac

Currently only AstraZeneca and some Pfizer jabs are flowing through the scheme.

The World Health Organization on Tuesday approved the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use — the second Chinese vaccine to receive the WHO’s green light. The UN health agency signed off on the two-dose vaccine, which is already being deployed in several countries around the world. “WHO today validated the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine for emergency use,” it said in a statement. The move gives countries, funders, procuring agencies and communities “assurance that it meets international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing”. Last month Sinopharm became the first Chinese vaccine to be approved by the WHO.