China is likely to approve an mRNA vaccine called BNT162b2 by July, which may become the first imported vaccine approved for use in mainland China.
The BNT162b2 vaccine (Pfizer vaccine), developed by BioNTech of Germany in collaboration with Pfizer of the United States, has been approved for emergency authorization in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. The vaccine’s partner in China is China’s Fosun Pharmaceuticals, and the vaccine has been named Fubetide Vaccine.
The BNT162b2 vaccine will most likely be approved in China by July, a source told Chinese official media Global Times on Thursday (April 22), adding that preparations, including production plants and cold-chain delivery drills, are underway.
The source said the launch of the vaccine in China will take place in three steps: approval for import and sale, shipment of 100 million doses of the vaccine based on previously signed orders, and an attempt by Fosun Pharma to manufacture the vaccine in China to meet local demand.
The source also told the Global Times that the company is planning a warehouse in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area, which is already equipped with more than 100 refrigerators for storage.
The Global Times also said that Fosun Pharmaceuticals has submitted vaccine clinical trial data and related materials to Chinese state regulators for review.
The Wall Street Journal also recently quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that China plans to approve the first foreign vaccine for the new crown by July.
Chinese officials have been reviewing clinical trial data for the new crown vaccine made by Germany’s BioNTech and are expected to give the green light for domestic sales of the vaccine within the next 10 weeks, some of the people familiar with the matter said. Some of those briefed on the matter were told of the timeline in private discussions with government officials and health officials. Others were government officials who were briefed on the internal discussions.
A recent comment on Weibo by Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times, about the imported mRNA vaccine also sparked heated debate among netizens. He revealed on Weibo that he had received the inactivated vaccine from China National Pharmaceutical Group, but he also said that someone could help him “get the Pfizer vaccine” and that he had chosen China National for insurance purposes. Hu Xijin then deleted the microblog.
Some netizens teased that Hu Xijin could climb over the wall and “get it”, so he is very powerful. A microblogger said, “Pfizer vaccines are not yet available in the mainland, this is either illegal smuggling, or trafficking in counterfeit drugs, old Hu better give everyone a clear explanation.”
Another netizen said, “Old Hu still trusts Pfizer more in his heart, he said so to show his ‘patriotism’, this kind of small mind did not hide well and leaked out.”
A total of five new crown vaccines are currently approved for use in China, but there are concerns about the effectiveness of Chinese vaccines and the transparency of vaccine information. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has reported that Graeme Smith, a researcher at the Australian National University’s Pacific Affairs Department, has said there are “good” reasons to be skeptical of the Chinese vaccines because Chinese researchers are under more direct political pressure to produce results.
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