COVID-19: China's inactivated vaccine shows protection against coronavirus in animal trial

Amid the coronavirus crisis, China's inactivated COVID-19 vaccine has shown potent protection against the infection in animal experiments. According to international reports, the research on the vaccine 'candid77v ate BBIBP-CorV' is being conducted by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products under the China National Biotec Group, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, along with other institutions.

According to the researchers, the vaccine induces high-levels of neutralising antibodies that provide protection against the virus in mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, and non-human primates including cynomolgus monkeys and rhesus macaques.

Read: AstraZeneca aims to boost potential supply of COVID-19 vaccine to 2 billion

According to the China National Biotec Group, the inactivated vaccine candidate was approved for the clinical trials in April. The inactivated vaccines uses the killed version of the germ that causes a disease. According to China's Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang, China will make a COVID-19 vaccine a 'global public good'. 

Currently, Beijing is ramping up efforts to develop vaccines in five categories -- inactivated vaccines, recombinant protein vaccines, live attenuated influenza vaccines, adenovirus vaccines, and nucleic acid-based vaccines. Till now, four inactivates vaccines and one adenovirus vaccine has been approved for the clinical trials. 

Read: UN chief Antonio Guterres backs development of 'people's vaccine' for coronavirus

The COVID-19 crisis

First detected in China's Wuhan, at present there are around 7,323,516 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection across the globe and the disease has led to the death of around 413,731 people.

In a ray of hope, around 3,603,893 people are also reported to have recovered. Meanwhile, leading the number of worldwide cases of novel coronavirus COVID-19 infection, the United States has become the new epicentre of the pandemic surpassing China, Italy, and Iran. 

Read: China will make any vaccine 'global public goods'

Read: When Covid vaccine arrives, need global solidarity to ensure access for all: UN chief

(With ANI Inputs)