WHO sets review dates for Sinopharm and Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines

WHO sets dates for reviews of Sinopharm and Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines

(Reuters) – Technical experts at the World Health Organization (WHO) will review on April 26 Chinese drugmaker Sinopharm’s COVID-19 vaccine for possible emergency use listing, to be followed by the Sinovac (SVA.O) jab on May 3, the agency said on Thursday.

A booth displaying a coronavirus vaccine candidate from Sinovac Biotech Ltd is seen at the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), following the COVID-19 outbreak, in Beijing, China September 4, 2020. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

“We would expect a decision a couple of days later,” the WHO said in response to a Reuters query.

So far COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer (PFE.N) AstraZeneca (AZN.L) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) have received a WHO listing – an endorsement of their safety and efficacy that helps to guide countries’ regulatory agencies.