China authorises emergency use of coronavirus vaccines, says health official

China’s health official on August 22 reportedly confirmed that the country authorised emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines developed by some select domestic companies. While speaking to a Chinese media outlet, Zheng Zhongwei, who is the head of the coronavirus vaccine development task force, said that the officials have drawn up a series of plan packages, including medical consent forms, side-effects monitoring plans, rescue plans, compensation plans, to make sure the emergency use is well regulated and monitored. 

According to international media reports, the emergency use authorisation is based on Chinese management law. Under the emergency authorisation, the country will be able to use unapproved vaccine candidates among those who are at high risk of getting infected on a limited period. The official informed that by first inoculating special groups, including frontline workers, civil servants, the move is to ensure that a city can keep normal functions when a health crisis strikes. 

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Zheng reportedly said that China is planning to scale up the inoculating group to better prepare for a possible next wave in autumn and winter. It was noted that the national agency has already used several emergency use authorisation since the coronavirus outbreak as a way to get many diagnostic tests more quickly to the market than the normal procedures. 

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Chinese firms conduct clinical trails 

Meanwhile, according to China’s National Medical Products Administration, at least eight potential coronavirus vaccines have entered different stages of clinical trials. Leading the race, Chinese pharmaceutical firm, CanSino Biologics, has reportedly started a late-stage trial of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Russia. The potential coronavirus vaccine candidate has reportedly won a patent approval from Beijing. 

According to international media reports, the Ad5-nCoV, which has already been approved for use by China’s military, is further also set to begin late-stage trials in Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Apart from CanSino Biologics, other Chinese firms, including Sinovac Biotech Ltd and China National Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd (Sinopharm), are testing candidates overseas as China has become less conducive for Phase III trials due to its small number of new coronavirus cases. The last-stage trials is generally required for regulatory approval to distribute a vaccine for public use.

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