China Displays COVID-19 Vaccines; Here’s How Long Antibodies Will Last

Beijing: China on Monday showcased its indigenously developed coronavirus vaccine.

Small vials of liquid vaccine were put up at a Beijing trade fair. The vaccines are being developed by Sinovac Biotech and Sinopharm, both Chinese companies.

The vaccines are yet to hit the market and waiting for phase III trials to be completed. China expects to launch them by the end of 2020.

Sinovac has a factory ready to produce 300 million doses of the vaccine a year.

China, where the pandemic originated, is believed to be trying hard to control the narrative and win back trust by displaying these vaccines. The government and state-run media are now emphasizing the revival of Wuhan, which was the epicentre of the global pandemic.

The vaccines on display are among top 10 candidates currently in phase III trials.

Sinopharm hopes the antibodies produced will last between one and three years. The details will be known only after the trials.

The Global Times had reported earlier that two doses of the vaccine are expected to cost around $146 or ₹10,000.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that widespread immunization against COVID-19 may not be possible until mid-2021.