China plans to approve its first foreign Covid-19 vaccine before July, according to people familiar with the matter, as pressure from domestic scientists and foreign industry mounts to expand beyond its own selection of shots. the country.
Chinese officials have examined clinical trial data for the coronavirus vaccine from Germany’s BioNTech SE and are expected to give the green light to domestic distribution of the shot within 10 weeks, people aware of these discussions say. Some people were told the timeline during a private conversation with government and health officials. The others were government officials briefed on the internal discussions.
Most shotmakers in China cite research data showing that their vaccines are nearly 100% effective in preventing Covid-19 infections serious enough to require hospitalization when administered in full. But some Chinese public health experts, including the head of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, have pushed for the introduction of Western vaccines that can better prevent milder infections.
Foreign companies are keen to add Western vaccines to ease travel abroad, where foreign shots are more accepted, said Ker Gibbs, the president of the US Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. The chamber is urging the government to approve the BioNTech vaccine, which has been introduced by Pfizer Inc. since December. is produced and distributed in most of the world, he said.
BioNTech agreed in December to partner with Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. to deliver 100 million doses to China by 2021, pending approval.