Geneva: The World Health Organization has approved China’s Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine on Friday for emergency use in all countries.
The Sinopharm vaccine is produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, subsidiary of China National Biotec Group (CNBG).
The addition of this vaccine has the potential to rapidly accelerate COVID-19 vaccine access for countries seeking to protect health workers and populations at risk, stated the WHO.
The Sinopharm product is an inactivated Covid-9 vaccine called SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell). Its easy storage requirements make it highly suitable for low-resource settings, boosting supply to underserved countries, the WHO tweeted.
It is the first to carry a vaccine vial monitor, a small sticker on the vaccine vials that changes color as the vaccine is exposed to heat, letting health workers know whether the vaccine can be safely used.
The WHO has already given emergency use approval to the vaccines being made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, and the AstraZeneca jab that is being produced at separate sites in India and South Korea.
Ms Kalinga