Cold chain workers are vaccinated in China

Chinese cold chain logistics workers were among the first in the country to be vaccinated against COVID-19, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Footage aired by the broadcaster on Saturday showed the transport workers in Shandog province receiving the Sinovac vaccine at a local hospital in mid-December.

Before they were given the injection, the recipients were told about the possible side effects of the vaccine and had to sign a consent form.The Beijing-based Sinovac is one of at least five Chinese developers working on COVID-19 vaccines.

The company has not yet published the results from final round clinical tests that are being conducted in Brazil, Indonesia, and Turkey.China's health regulator announced in mid-December that coronavirus inoculations had begun for workers in health care, transport and border control who are most at risk of getting the virus.

China on Thursday approved its first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine for general use.

The vaccine produced by state-owned Sinopharm had already been under emergency-use.

(IMAGE CREDITS:AP)