A media outlet claims that China has started a vaccination campaign as part of the fight against the current Covid-19 pandemic. This would occur in Zhejiang, a province in the east of the country. Nevertheless, the vaccine in question is officially still in phase III clinical trials.
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues unabated in many parts of the world, China has reportedly started mass vaccinations . In September 2020, we were already talking about the fact that several Chinese companies had vaccinated at least 100,000 people. There was then talk of three phase III vaccines clinical trials. However, the Beijing government validated these as part of an emergency vaccination campaign in the summer of 2020.
According to an article in the Hong Kong daily South China Morning Post on October 17, 2020, there is again talk of an emergency vaccination. Specifically, the media explains that the Zhejiang province was granted "Emergency Use Authorization" after an assessment of its epidemic situation. However, this is again a phase III vaccine. Remember in passing that this phase III (tests on humans) makes it possible to acquire the certainty that a drug is effective and causes no serious side effects . It is also one of the last final steps before the product is marketed.
Chen Guangsheng, deputy secretary-general of the Zhejiang government, said the authorization will be valid for next fall and winter . In any case, this province is today the first to offer vaccination in a Center for diseases control and prevention (CDC). The 57 million inhabitants of this province can therefore in theory go to a center to be vaccinated. On the other hand, the local government has set priorities.
Vaccinations will primarily target "key people" and residents of areas where there are clusters. In the category of key people, we find the medical personnel, disease control and prevention personnel as well as customs and border control personnel. Also targeted are people working in quarantine centres. The second priority group will be embodied by the essential workers , civil servants and staff dedicated to "special events". Obviously, the measure also concerns people on business trips abroad.
These first vaccination steps in Zhejiang would be part of a more global project . Indeed, officials say the goal is to administer the vaccine to the general population, that is, citizens between the ages of 18 and 59.
