China authorises CoronaVac vaccine for 3-17 yr olds

China has authorised the emergency use of CoronaVac, a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Chinese firm Sinovac, for children aged between 3 and 17 years, Sinovac Chairman Yin Weidong said.

"But when the vaccine will be put into (emergency) use, and starting from what age in the group has yet to be decided," he was quoted as saying by the state-run Global Times on Sunday.

Sinovac has finished the Phrase I and II clinical research stage, involving several hundred volunteers in this age group, which has proved that the vaccine is as safe and efficient as it is for adults, Yin told China Central Television in an interview on Friday.

The Wold Health Organisation has granted approval on June 1 to China's second COVID-19 vaccine, Sinovac, which was expected to strengthen China's vaccine diplomacy.

Earlier, WHO granted a similar approval to China's Sinopharm. Besides administering the vaccines at home, China has been donating and exporting the vaccines to number of countries as part of its vaccine diplomacy.

China's National Health Commission said on Sunday that over 763 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across China so far.

For its part, China has approved about five of its vaccines for emergency use.

China has offered 10 million vaccine doses to COVAX facility which is WHO backed initiative to provide vaccines to developing countries.