BEIJING: Research and development on COVID-19 vaccines in China is progressing rapidly, and they may be available for public use as early as November, a senior virologist said.
Five of the nine COVID-19 vaccines that have entered phase 3 clinical trials globally are being developed in China, and they have produced satisfying trial results, said Wu Guizhen, chief biosafety expert at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, according to China Daily on Thursday.
A vaccine usually has to complete three phases of trials before gaining market approval.
None of the people who have received candidate COVID-19 vaccines developed by China for emergency use have exhibited serious side effects or contracted the novel coronavirus, Wu said.
“It is expected that ordinary people can receive COVID-19 vaccination in November or December,” she said. “We expect the vaccinations will remain effective for between one and three years.”
Faced with a deadly pandemic, countries have been racing against time to research and develop COVID-19 vaccines. A vaccine can normally take more than a decade to develop.
Effective vaccines have been seen as a crucial weapon in containing the pandemic, which has resulted in nearly 30 million cases worldwide. Although it is effectively under control in China, some experts have called for vigilance to guard against new outbreaks in winter.
