World warmly welcomes Chinese vaccines

Editor's note:

The COVID-19 vaccines produced by China have been recognized by many countries for safety and effectiveness with the promotion and use at home and abroad, and leaders of many countries have received the vaccine shot developed by China.

Hungary

Hungary has signed a deal to buy China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, which will allow the vaccination of 2.5 million people, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said on Jan 29.

Earlier, Hungarian Chief Medical Officer Cecilia Muller announced that Hungary had authorized the use of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine.

Chile

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera on Jan 28 went to the airport to welcome a shipment of nearly 2 million vaccines developed by Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech as the South American country prepares for mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19.

Pinera noted that the Health Ministry approved Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine as "safe and effective" for immunizing all age groups over 18, including those over 60.

Pinera earlier also announced that he and Health Minister Paris "are going to be vaccinated with a Sinovac vaccine and, probably, we will do it in the second week of February."

On Jan 20, the Chilean Institute of Public Health authorized the emergency use of the Sinovac vaccine.

Malaysia

The Malaysian government signed a deal on Jan 26 to procure 12 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac.

The vaccines would be supplied through Malaysia's leading pharmaceutical company Pharmaniaga following the signing of an agreement between the company and Malaysia's Health Ministry, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

Sinovac's vaccines are expected to be supplied to Malaysia in stages from April after obtaining approval from Malaysia's National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency and Drug Control Authority.

The Philippines

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is willing to receive the Chinese-made Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine shots, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Jan 19.

The Philippine government has said that it has secured 25 million doses of Sinovac-developed CoronaVac vaccines, which is seeking an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines.

The first batch of 50,000 doses of CoronaVac vaccines will arrive in the Philippines as early as February.

Serbia

Serbian health authorities approved the use of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccines on Jan 18, two days after a million doses were imported from China, enabling the country to start mass immunization of its population.

One million doses of Sinopharm's vaccine arrived in Serbia on Jan 16 and were welcomed at the Belgrade Airport by President Aleksandar Vucic, who confirmed that he will receive the vaccine himself.

Cambodia

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Jan 17 that he will be the first in the country to be inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinopharm to boost the public's confidence in the shot, CGTN reported.

On Jan 15, Hun Sen announced that he had accepted a donation of 1 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine.

He said apart from the donation, the government will continue to seek more vaccine doses for 10 million or up to 13 million people if there is a need to vaccinate up to 80 percent of the country's population.

Turkey

Turkey started mass vaccination for COVID-19 on Jan 14 after the authorities approved the emergency use of the Chinese vaccine. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan received a shot of the Sinovac's CoronaVac coronavirus disease vaccine at Ankara City Hospital on the same day.

More than 600,000 health workers in Turkey have received their first doses of COVID-19 shots developed by China's Sinovac during the first two days of the country's vaccination program.

Algeria

Algeria's Minister of Communication, Government Spokesman, Ammar Belhimer announced on Jan 13 that Algeria would receive a batch of COVID-19 vaccine from China "before the end of January this year," reported Algeria Press Service.

Indonesia

Indonesia, through its Food and Drug Control Agency, approved China's biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine for use on Jan 11.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Jan 13 received the COVID-19 vaccine shot. After the president, the Indonesian military chief, the national police chief and the Health Minister, among others, were also vaccinated.

Widodo received his second dose of the vaccine on Jan 27, two weeks after the first injection.

Seychelles

The Indian Ocean archipelago of the Seychelles began vaccinating its population against the coronavirus on Jan 10, 2021.

The country's president, Wavel Ramkalawan, was the first to receive the jab, an event broadcast on live television at a hospital in the capital Victoria. Several dozen public figures joined him.

The country is using the Chinese vaccine developed by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm with its subsidiary the China National Biotec Group.

Peru

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

In a nationwide address, Sagasti said Peru's cooperation in Sinopharm phase 3 trials placed the country "in a better position to access vaccines" and to "verify their effectiveness in the national population."

The UAE

The UAE announced on Dec 9, 2020, the official registration of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the China National Pharmaceutical Group, or Sinopharm, the official WAM news agency reported.

The UAE became the first country to offer Chinese-developed COVID-19 vaccines to all citizens and residents for free, on Dec 23. The trials in UAE shows the Chinese vaccine provides 86 percent efficacy against COVID-19 infection.

The vaccine was granted Emergency Use Authorization in September by the health ministry to protect frontline workers most at risk of COVID-19.

Bahrain

Bahrain's health regulator on Dec 13, 2020, announced it has officially approved the registration of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the China National Pharmaceutical Group, or Sinopharm, according to Bahrain News Agency.

The National Health Regulatory Authority made the decision to approve and use the vaccine after thorough review and evaluation of the clinical trials data.

Bahrain, which has participated in Phase III clinical trials of the vaccine in August, authorized the emergency use of Sinopharm's vaccine in November to cover those frontline professionals in contact with COVID-19 patients.

Several ministers and senior officials have already received the vaccine in Bahrain, including Bahrain's crown prince.