The first COVID-19 inactivated vaccine certified by WHO
According to WHO evaluation results, among all age groups participating in the trial, Sinopharm’s COVID-19 vaccine is effective in symptomatic patients and 79% effectiveness in hospitalized patients. The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization recommends that adults over the age of 18 receive the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine twice, with an interval of 3 to 4 weeks.
The WHO Emergency Use List aims to provide drugs, vaccines and diagnostic tools to respond to the crisis as soon as possible under the premise of ensuring safety, effectiveness and high quality in the context of emergency public health. The effective rate is above 50%, preferably close to or higher than 70%. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and can be included in the emergency use list. Relevant vaccine manufacturers should continue to submit follow-up data to WHO to obtain full WHO approval of the vaccine.
Previously, WHO has criticized the new coronavirus vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and German Biotechnology Company, and two versions of the vaccine jointly developed by AstraZeneca Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Oxford University (respectively developed by South Korea and Five new coronavirus vaccines (produced by Indian Pharmaceutical Company), the new coronavirus vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson in the United States, and the new coronavirus vaccine developed by Moderna in the United States have been issued emergency use certification. Sinopharm’s COVID-19 vaccine is the first inactivated vaccine on the World Health Organization’s emergency use list.
The Sinopharm vaccine has many advantages
Five vaccines have been approved for conditional marketing or emergency use in China. Many vaccines, including the Sinopharm vaccine, have been approved for marketing or emergency use in dozens of countries around the world, and the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines have been widely recognized.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference that China’s Sinopharm vaccine meets WHO standards in terms of safety, effectiveness and quality of the new coronavirus vaccine.
WHO also reportedly assessed the suitability of vaccine risk management plans and procedures, such as cold chain requirements. There is also a dedicated technical advisory group responsible for risk-benefit assessment and independent assessment of whether the vaccine can be included in the list and the scope of application of the vaccine. WHO experts also visited Sinopharm's production facilities.
WHO specifically pointed out that the traditional Chinese medicine COVID-19 vaccine is easy to store and is very suitable for environments with scarce resources. The Sinopharm vaccine is also the first to carry a vaccine bottle monitor. The small label on the vaccine bottle will change color when the vaccine is heated, so health workers can judge whether the vaccine is safe and usable.
Sinopharm vaccine storage conditions are 2-8 degrees Celsius, and existing vaccine cold chain systems and even household refrigerators can meet the requirements. In comparison, Moderna's vaccine is stored at -20 degrees Celsius and Pfizer's vaccine needs to be stored at -70 degrees Celsius. The Sinopharm vaccine is easier to distribute and cheaper, which is particularly important for developing countries.