On Wednesday, the manufacturer of China’s first domestically produced messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine against Covid-19 announced that it has been approved by the country. This comes months after the country relaxed its strict Covid-zero regulations, which resulted in a surge of cases.
CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd’s vaccine has been granted approval for “emergency use” by the health regulator in Beijing, as stated by the company in a press release.
It showed high efficacy in a trial in which it was used as a booster shot for people who have been given other types of vaccines, the company added, without offering further details.
mRNA vaccines are considered among the most effective in reducing severe infections and deaths.
While traditional vaccines use a weakened or inactivated germ to prepare the body for a future attack from the real virus, mRNA deploys snippets of genetic material that carry instructions showing the body’s cells how to produce a protein — in this case, the spike protein on the coronavirus that causes Covid.
The body’s immune system then triggers antibodies to fight off that spike protein, making it ready for when the real coronavirus comes knocking.
The Chinese government has declined to authorize the use of mRNA-based vaccines from foreign companies such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for the general public.
Its vaccination shortfall was widely believed to have led to more severe infections and deaths after lockdowns and mandatory quarantine rules were suddenly dropped in December.
Several other drug manufacturers in China, including CanSino, have announced their plans to develop mRNA-based vaccines to help fill the country’s vaccination gap.
