According to people familiar with the matter, China plans to approve its first foreign Covid-19 vaccine before July, as the pressure from local scientists and the foreign business community is greater than the country’s own shots.
Chinese officials are examining the clinical trial data for the coronavirus vaccine made by German BioNTech SE, and are expected to give the domestic distribution of the shot a green light within the next ten weeks, say people aware of these discussions. Some of the people were told of the timeline during a private conversation with the government and health officials. The others are government officials who have been briefed on the internal discussions.
Most of China’s manufacturers of shots cite trial data showing that their vaccines are almost 100% effective in preventing Covid-19 infections that are serious enough to require hospitalization when fully administered. But some Chinese public health experts, including the head of China’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have insisted on introducing Western vaccines that are better at preventing milder infections.
According to Ker Gibbs, president of the US Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, foreign companies want to add Western vaccines to make it easier to travel overseas, where foreign shots are more widely accepted. The chamber is appealing to the government to launch the BioNTech vaccine, which has been used by most of the world through Pfizer Inc. manufactured and distributed, to be approved, he said.
BioNTech agreed in December to partner with Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. deliver 100 million doses to China by 2021, pending approval.