The World Health Organisation (WHO), has given approval for emergency use to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese company Sinopharm.
Receiving WHO approval signals the efficacy and safety of the vaccine, and now also allows the Sinopharm vaccine to be included in COVAX, the international programme that aims ot provide vaccines to predominantly poorer countries.
Sinopharm vaccine has already been administered to millions of people in China as well as other countries, including the UAE which approved its use in December last year, and is the first vaccine for any infectious disease developed by China to be given approval for emergency use.
Other vaccines approved by WHO for emergency use include Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna.