China's Zhejiang province to give experimental COVID-19 vaccine shots to residents for $60

Zhejiang province in eastern China has reportedly rolled-out a scheme that would provide shots of potential COVID-19 vaccines to residents in just under $60. According to South China Morning Post, Zhejiang has approved vaccines developed by China, still in ir final phase of human trials, for 'emergency use' in province through local Centre for Disease Control (CDC) office. Chen Guangsheng, vice secretary-general of provincial government, has said that vaccine shots will be given to residents in autumn and winter. 

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Chen Guangsheng furr added that vaccines developed by Chinese pharmaceutical companies have entered final phase of human trials and have so far t displayed any severe effect on volunteers. Chen said that residents of worst affected areas and vulnerable population will be given priority. He said that first group of people to be vaccinated would be frontline workers, including medical staff, security forces, and people working at quarantine centres. 

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China's vaccine trials

According to Chinese Health Department, to date more than 3,50,000 people have been iculated by potential COVID-19 vaccines in country with adverse effects reported apart from mild pain, redness at injection site, or slight fatigue. Experts believe that vaccine programme being rolled out in Zhejiang is a pilot project by Chinese Communist Party to test safety and effectiveness of vaccines before y can be distributed to or parts of country. 

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In September, Wu Guizhen, chief biosafety expert at national CDC, had told state-run broadcaster CCTV that a vaccine for mass distribution in China would be available by vember end. However, World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that a safe and effective COVID-19 would be available until mid-2021. As per WHO, currently, re are more than 150 vaccine candidates being developed across world.

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