As the Philippines waits for more updates on the U.S. COVID-19 vaccines, China and other countries also have their own vaccines in play.
Here are the known Chinese COVID-19 vaccines and their developers:
1. Sinovac Biotech
The Coronovac vaccine is said to be one of the first vaccines set to arrive in the Philippines. It’s produced by Sinovac, a Beijing-based biopharmaceutical company, through a “traditional method that is successfully used in many well known vaccines like rabies,” according to Associate Professor Luo Dahai of the Nanyang Technological University as told to the BBC. In that way, it’s an inactivated vaccine, as compared to Moderna and Phizer’s mRNA vaccines.
Sinovac’s vaccine can be stored in a standard refrigerator at 2-8 degrees Celsius, which makes it easier for developing countries to keep. Similar to the U.S. vaccines, Coronovac also needs to be administered in two doses.
Based on the reports, only 5% experienced discomfort or fatigue from the vaccine. It has been approved for high-risk people since July, but still in phase three trials. According to many reports, this is one of the two China vaccines in the lead, though the company’s CEO has a history of bribing officials for vaccine approvals.
2. Sinopharm
Sinopharm is the other China vaccine currently in the top two. Sinopharm, also known as the Chinese National Pharmaceutical Group Corp., is a Chinese state-owned company that’s developing two COVID-19 vaccines, which are also inactive vaccines.
At present, the vaccines are undergoing phase three trials in several countries. In the United Arab Emirates, the vaccine is reported to have 86% efficacy in a trial of 31,000 patients, compared to Phizer’s 90% and AstreZeneca’s 70-90% efficacy. Sinopharm’s vaccine has also been distributed to nearly a million people in China under an emergency program.
3. CanSino
Back in March, it is said that CanSino Biologics Inc. launched the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine trial in Wuhan, China for its Convidicea vaccine. Then last June, CanSino was authorized to vaccinate the Chinese military. However, it’s still in phase three trials in several countries. Unlike some of the other China vaccines, this one should be stored in sub-zero conditions, which may be harder in developing countries.
4. Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical
Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical’s Institute of Microbiology Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Medical Products Administration co-developed a trial vaccine that was issued a clinical research permit on June 19. Currently, the vaccine has entered phase three clinical trials.
5. Beijing Institute of Biological Products
As a subsidiary of China National Biotec Group (CNBG), the Beijing Institute of Biological Products has developed a vaccine called, “BBIBP-CorV.” Their vaccine is one of the products that was authorized to be given to a large population in China. So far, it has not received a single report of severe adverse reaction or infection from its product. It’s also the first inactivated vaccine to be studied in groups with people over the age of 60.
