Booming vaccine cooperation between China, developing world

BEIJING -- With more evidence suggesting their efficacy and safety, Chinese vaccines have been registered and used in more countries, especially those in the developing world.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Wednesday received a COVID-19 vaccine shot developed by China's biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech.

The country's Food and Drug Control Agency on Monday issued an emergency use authorization for the Chinese vaccine.

Also on Wednesday, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca received the Sinovac vaccine, shortly after the vaccine was granted emergency authorization in Turkey.

Turkey began mass vaccination on Thursday, starting with health workers, Koca told reporters.

Meanwhile, Sinovac is partnering with Malaysian pharmaceutical company Pharmaniaga for the supply of 14 million doses of its inactivated COVID-19 vaccines to Malaysia after the two companies signed an agreement on Tuesday.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, whose ministry is coordinating vaccine procurement, told a press conference following the signing that his country is "happy" with clinical trial results of Sinovac's vaccines and that the government is expected to sign the procurement agreement of the vaccines with Sinovac and Pharmaniaga soon.

Brazil has signed an agreement with the Butantan Institute of Sao Paulo to purchase 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Sinovac, Brazilian Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello said earlier this month.

Also in South America, Peruvian President Francisco Sagasti announced on Jan. 6 that Peru has signed an agreement with Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinopharm to acquire its vaccines against COVID-19, with the first 1 million doses to arrive this month.

Meanwhile, the Thai Ministry of Public Health said that the Southeast Asian country has concluded a contract to order 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Sinovac.

On Jan. 2, Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed said that the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese drugmaker Sinopharm has been officially licensed for emergency use in Egypt.

"I am more convinced of the Chinese vaccine, which uses the recognized traditional technology of using killed virus," Osama Abdel-Hay, secretary general of the Egyptian Medical Syndicate, told Xinhua previously in an interview.

The China-developed anti-coronavirus vaccine received by Egypt is effective, safe and easier to use, Abdel-Hay said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country has signed a contract to buy over 1.9 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Sinovac, while it is working on obtaining more vaccines, reported the president's press service at the end of last year.

In December 2020, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain also approved the registration of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Sinopharm.

The interim analysis of the phase III trials shows the Chinese vaccine provides 86 percent efficacy against COVID-19 infection, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention said in a statement.