**China’s First COVID-19 Vaccines Approved for Conditional Marketing**
**Beijing, December 31, 2020** – China has approved two COVID-19 vaccines, developed by Sinopharm and Sinovac Biotech, for conditional marketing, making them the first vaccines against the deadly virus to be approved in the country.
The vaccines, both of which are inactivated virus vaccines, have been shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials. The Sinopharm vaccine, which was developed by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, has an efficacy rate of 79.34%, while the Sinovac vaccine, which was developed by the Sinovac Research and Development Co., has an efficacy rate of 78.1%.
The approval of the vaccines is a major step forward in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in China. The country has been battling the virus since early 2020, and has reported over 86,000 cases and 4,634 deaths.
The vaccines are expected to be available to the public in the coming weeks. China has already begun vaccinating its healthcare workers and other high-risk groups, and plans to vaccinate the entire population by the end of 2021.
The approval of the vaccines is a significant development in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. China is the first country to approve a COVID-19 vaccine for conditional marketing, and its vaccines are expected to play a major role in bringing the pandemic to an end.
**Additional Information**
* The Sinopharm vaccine is a two-dose vaccine that is administered intramuscularly. The two doses are given 21 days apart..
* The Sinovac vaccine is also a two-dose vaccine that is administered intramuscularly. The two doses are given 14 days apart..
* Both vaccines are contraindicated in people who have a history of severe allergic reactions to any of the components of the vaccine..
* The vaccines are not recommended for pregnant women or people with weakened immune systems..
* The safety and efficacy of the vaccines in children under the age of 18 have not yet been established.
**Source:**
[China approves two homegrown COVID-19 vaccines for general public](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202012/31/WS5fe85f86a31024ad0ba81bb6.html).
