China approves first domestic COVID vaccine, developed by Sinopharm

Company says efficacy rate is 79%, paving way for large-scale inoculations

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A medical worker inspects syringes of COVID-19 inactivated vaccine products at a packaging plant of the Beijing Biological Products Institute, a unit of state-owned Sinopharm. © AP

CK TAN, Nikkei staff writer

SHANGHAI -- China approved the country's first domestically made COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, paving the way for mass inoculation and recognition overseas.

Developed by the Beijing Biological Products Institute under China National Pharmaceutical Group, or Sinopharm, the vaccine showed 79.34% efficacy and a 99.52% antibody positive conversion rate in Phase 3 clinical trial results, the institute announced a day earlier.

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