China approves emergency use of Sinovik Covid 19 vaccine for children and adolescents

China approves emergency use of Sinovik Covid 19 vaccine for children and adolescents

• Sinovik's Covid 19 vaccine has been approved by China for emergency use in children and adolescents.
• The state-backed drug maker SonoFirm, which has used two similar shots in Sinowack's product, is also collecting data for clearance in small groups.
• When Synovik's vaccine is offered to small groups, it is up to health officials to formulate China's vaccination strategy.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has approved the emergency use of the Cinnabot biotech vaccine in people between the ages of three and 17, its chairman Yin Weidong told state TV late on Friday.

China's massive vaccination drive, which delivered 723.5 million vaccines as of June 3, is currently only open to those 18 years of age or older.

Yen told state TV in a live interview that when the synovic vaccine is offered to small groups, it is up to health officials to develop a Chinese vaccination strategy.

Yin said younger people are less likely to be vaccinated against the virus than those who are at higher risk of developing severe symptoms after infection.

Preliminary results from clinical trials in Phases I and II showed that the vaccine could cause immune reactions in participants aged three to 17 years, and the most adverse reactions were mild.

The state-backed drug maker SonoFirm, which has fired two shots using similar technology at Synovac's product, is also collecting data for clearance in small groups. A Cancino Biologics vaccine, which has adopted a different technique, has entered a Phase II trial involving people between the ages of six and 17.

Sinowack also completed a Phase II clinical trial where participants were vaccinated with a third booster dose after completing two regular shots, Yono said.

Yin said participants saw a 10-fold increase in antibody levels in a week compared to the previous level and a 20-fold increase in half a month.

Yin warned that Sinovak still needs to complete long-term antibody monitoring before he can recommend a third dose to authorities.