A Chinese health department official said Friday that the country's annual production capacity for the coronavirus vaccine will increase by 1 billion doses next year, following the government's aggressive cooperation program to build new factories.
The capacity is expected’ to reach 610
million doses by the end of this year, said Zheng Zhongwei of the National
Health Commission.
"Next year, our annual capacity will
reach more than 1 billion doses," he told a news conference.
American pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and
Moderna also aim to produce one billion doses by 2021.
Zheng said the distribution of vaccines
would give priority to groups such as medical workers, border guards and the
elderly before they become available to the general public.
China has promoted the construction of
vaccine testing facilities and manufacturing plants, and has set up independent
monitors for its assembly. There are 11 candidates for the vaccine in human
trials in China, four of whom are currently in the third and final trials.
One of them is Corona Week, made by the
private company Sinovac, which is already sliding on the factory floor in a geo-safe
facility outside Beijing. Yin Weidong, chairman of Sino week, said Thursday
that the factory had been built’ for months, and more could be built if demand
was high.
Some countries are working on vaccines to
ensure success against the disease. Under the World Health Organization, more
than 150 countries are establishing the COVID-19 vaccine Global Access
Facility, or COVAX.
Their goal is to create 2 billion doses to
vaccinate 20% of the world's population.
The WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus said earlier this month that "the
goal is to vaccinate some people in all countries, not just in some
countries."
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