A domestically produced inactivated COVID-19 vaccine displayed at the fair Photo: Li Hao/GT

Ordinary Chinese residents could start receiving COVID-19 vaccines as early as November, an expert from the Chinese Center for Disease Prevention and Control revealed. 

Wu Guizhen, the chief biosecurity expert from China's CDC, said that China has been leading the world in research and development of a vaccine against COVID-19. Nine vaccines have entered Phase III of clinical trials around the world, and five of them are being developed by China.

Ordinary Chinese could get the vaccines as early as November or December, as the current Phase III clinical trials have been going smoothly, Wu said.

"I was injected with the vaccine in April as a trial volunteer. I feel good right now."

The vaccine could remain effective for one to three years, Wu revealed.

Wu said that the novel coronavirus is a high-risk virus and needs to be produced in a negative pressure environment. Experts from the health commission departments are now intensively reviewing production workshops. Two have passed examination and approval, and a third is being evaluated.

More than 30 novel coronavirus vaccines worldwide have entered the clinical trial stage, nine of which have entered the Phase III clinical trial stage.

China officially launched the urgent use of its vaccine on July 22.

Global Times