Hong Kong approves China’s Sinovac vaccine

ANKARA

Hong Kong on Thursday authorized China’s Sinovac coronavirus vaccine for emergency use.

It would be the second vaccine approved in the semi-autonomous region of China after the BioNTech vaccine.

Food and Health Secretary Sophia Chan Siu-chee considered it “necessary to approve the Sinovac jabs after considering the experts’ opinion and the public health risks posed by the pandemic”, public broadcaster RTHK reported citing a statement from the Hong Kong government.

The government termed the move “necessary that is in the public interest.”

It is expecting a million doses of the vaccine to arrive on Friday and the vaccination program is likely to begin next week.

The government will complete the necessary quality checks after receiving the jabs, and will continue to ask Sinovac to provide it with the latest clinical data, the statement said.

Hong Kong has so far reported nearly 11,000 COVID-19 cases, including 195 deaths.

'Pressure to scrap deal with Taiwan'

Taiwan Health Minister Chen Shih-chung on Wednesday said that BioNTech “called off its coronavirus vaccine deal with Taiwan due to pressure from China”, daily Taiwan News reported.

However, the company has said it is still in talks with the island nation and “that progress will be announced in due course.”

Taiwan had earlier said it secured almost 20 million doses of coronavirus vaccines, including those from the COVAX global initiative, Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, and five million doses from “a certain foreign company.”

In China, BioNTech produces vaccines in partnership with Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group.

To a question whether the Chinese pharmaceutical company asked BioNTech to scrap the deal, Chen said: “Maybe someone didn't want Taiwan to be too happy”.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen said on Thursday that her government has signed agreements "for millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses while two of our domestic vaccines are in phase II clinical trials."

"Our government and biomedical industry continue to make great strides in the fight against the pandemic," she said on Twitter.

One of the least affected regions, Taiwan has reported 940 coronavirus cases -- including nine deaths since the outbreak.