The world’s first inhalable COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency use in China.
Developed by the Tianjin-based manufacturer, CanSino Biologics, the vaccine was approved Sunday by China’s National Medical Products Administration, Reuters reports.
This development reportedly boosted Cansino’s share price by seven per cent on Monday.
While other vaccines have been administered through injections, the new needle-free vaccine can be stored and administered easily through a nebuliser, according to the company.
“The approval will have a positive impact on the company’s performance if the vaccine is subsequently purchased and used by relevant government agencies,” CanSino said.
The company also said it was uncertain when its vaccine would be able to go to market since additional administrative approvals are still needed.
China has so far approved eight other locally manufactured injectable vaccines since 2020.
According to WHO, over 3.4 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered as of 31 August.
COVID-19 in China
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has continued to experience a consistent flare-up in infections.
According to WHO COVID-19 data, from 3 January 2020 to 2 September, there have been 6,477,468 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 24,883 deaths.
The southern tech hub of Shenzhen imposed a weekend lockdown in most parts of the city on Saturday, while the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu put its 21 million people under lockdown on Thursday.
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