Chinese vaccine Vero Cell gets WHO approval

BEIJING: The Chinese vaccine Vero Cell, developed by Sinopharm, received emergency use approval from the World Health Organization on Friday.

This is the first time that the WHO has approved vaccines produced outside Europe and the United States.

Vaccines previously developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna have been approved for emergency use. 

The Vero Cell developed by China has also been brought to Nepal for emergency use. Thousands have been vaccinated with Vero Cell in Nepal. Latin American and Asian countries have also allowed the use of Vero Cell.

The WHO says the Chinese vaccine is safe, effective, and of good quality. The Chinese vaccine is prescribed to those over 18 years of age in two doses.