China to provide 10 mln COVID-19 vaccine doses in bid to support COVAX initiative
February 3, 2021, 11:10 am

China to provide 10 mln COVID-19 vaccine doses in bid to support COVAX initiative

A healthcare worker fills a syringe with a dose of Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine called COVAXIN, during the coronavirus vaccination campaign at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital in New Delhi, India, January 16, 2021. (File photo: Reuters)

China plans to provide 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX, as three Chinese companies have applied to join the initiative for approval, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

The COVAX scheme, backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and GAVI vaccine alliance, is due to start rolling out vaccines to low- and middle-income nations this month, with 2 billion of 3 billion doses expected to be delivered this year.

China’s foreign ministry said in January that Sinovac Biotech, China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) and CanSino Biologics have applied to join the scheme.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry, announced the supply plan at a regular media briefing on Wednesday, without going into details.

The three companies were not immediately available for comment.

The WHO, which is reviewing the applications, could make decisions on vaccines made by Sinopharm and Sinovac in March at the earliest, according to a COVAX internal document seen by Reuters.

Vaccines from Sinopharm and Sinovac are already being rolled out in several countries, including Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Cansino’s vaccine is approved for use in China’s military.

None of the three companies have released detailed efficacy data of their vaccines to the public yet, but limited earlyaccess to rival shots developed by Western drugmakers have prompted many developing countries to sign up for Chinese vaccines.

source: Reuters

Image source: Reuters

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
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Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
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The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
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