Novel coronavirus vaccine (CHO Cell) produced by Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical Co Ltd Photo: VCG

Colombia has approved a China-developed COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, the company announced on Sunday. 

Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products received on Saturday the official emergency use authorization from the Colombian authorities for its recombinant novel coronavirus vaccine (CHO Cell), Zifivax, produced by its subsidiary Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical Co Ltd, according to an announcement by the company. 

The authorization makes the vaccine available in South America, providing more aid and options for global cooperation against the COVID-19 pandemic, read the announcement. 

Before the latest authorization in Colombia, the vaccine was officially certified for public use in Uzbekistan in March 2021, becoming the world's first recombinant subunit vaccine to be officially registered.

It was also approved for emergency use in China in March 2021, and in Indonesia in October 2021.

Indonesian authorities also approved the use of Zifivax as booster shots for inactivated vaccines, according to the company.

Localization of the production of the vaccine has also been implemented with Uzbekistan producing and supplying the vaccine locally. The company is also preparing for local production in Indonesia, according to the announcement.

Zifivax was jointly developed by the Institute of Microbiology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Anhui Zhifei Longcom. 

Multicenter international Phase III clinical studies show that the vaccine has an efficacy of 81.43 percent against severe COVID-19. Genotyping analysis also shows that it is 92.68 percent effective against the Alpha variant and 81.38 percent against the Delta variant.