The World Health Organization on Tuesday approved the Chinese vaccine Sinovac for emergency use. The two-dose vaccine is currently being used by several countries around the world and is the second Chinese vaccine, after Sinopharm, to receive WHO approval.
"WHO today validated the Sinovac-CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, giving countries, funders, procuring agencies & communities the assurance that it meets international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing," WHO said in a statement.
Sinovac is already being used in countries like Chile, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Thailand and Turkey, apart from China. Singapore has also approved the usage of Sinovac following WHO approval.
Other vaccines approved for emergency use by WHO include those manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and the AstraZeneca vaccine.