Photo: sahpra.org.za

The South African Health Products and Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) registered Chinese vaccine producer Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac with conditions on June 14, the authority announced on Friday.

According to a statement sent to the Global Times by Sinovac, the vaccines are used for adults aged 18 to 59 years in South Africa and administered by intramuscular injection as two doses between 14 to 28 days apart from the initial dose.

Since July 2021, when the SAHPRA announced the approval of CoronaVac for conditional emergency use in South Africa, Sinovac has promptly disclosed the results of clinical trials. So far, the study results indicated that the safety and efficacy of the vaccines are good.

As of January this year, Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for emergency use or conditionally listed in 20 countries, regions and international organizations in Africa. The company has supplied nearly 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 10 African countries and regions.

From 2021, the company started localized production of COVID-19 vaccines in Egypt, Algeria and other African countries to meet local epidemic prevention needs, and has cooperated to produce more than 48 million doses of vaccines so far. 

In April of this year, an automated cold storage facility in Egypt aided by the company started construction with a capacity of 150 million doses of vaccines, which will become the largest vaccine storage center in the region, further improving the vaccine supply chain.

China has so far provided more than 2.2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine to more than 120 countries and international organizations, according to Xinhua.

China also played a constructive role in the decision on intellectual property rights (IPR) waiver for COVID-19 vaccines during the World Trade Organization's 12th Ministerial Conference. The decision was highly appreciated by the WTO Director-General and other members, which is also a practical move by China to defend the multilateral trading system and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Global Times