A staff member displays a sample of the COVID-19 inactivated vaccine at a vaccine production plant of China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) in Beijing, capital of China, April 10, 2020. Photo:Xinhua

Two inactivated COVID-19 vaccines developed by China National Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (Sinopharm) are now in phase two clinical trials. Over 2,000 volunteers received vaccinations in the first- and second-phase clinical trials, and none have shown obvious adverse reactions, suggesting the vaccines are safe and effective.

Notably, Sinopharm Group Chairman Liu Jingzhen said on Friday that 180 volunteers including him had received inactivated COVID-19 vaccinations. Antibodies in the volunteers have reached levels resistant to the coronavirus, with a 100 percent protective rate, according to thepaper.cn. 

The COVID-19 vaccines have been proven safe and effective, according to results from another group of hundreds of volunteers from Sinopharm Group, Liu said.

Two of the group's research institutes, the Beijing Biological Products Institute and the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, received approvals for phase two clinical trials, on April 12 and April 27 respectively.

The Wuhan Institute is now expanding its manufacturing plant for COVID-19 vaccines, which is expected to be completed by the end of June. Another plant constructed by the Beijing institute, which was completed within three months, is now the largest manufacturing center for COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, reports said.

The combined annual production capacity of the two institutes will exceed 200 million doses when mass production is realized, to ensure the accessibility of COVID-19 vaccines, according to media reports.