CLINICAL trials of China-developed nasal spray and inhaled COVID-19 vaccines are currently under way, according to the National Health Commission (NHC).

The nasal spray has been selected as one of China’s vaccine technologies to combat COVID-19 in the very beginning, Zeng Yixin, deputy head of the commission, said in a recent interview.

Medical experts will study the safety and effectiveness of the tested vaccines after completing the collection of clinical trial data, Zeng added.

Zeng also said there are 21 COVID-19 vaccines developed by China that have entered clinical trials. So far, four COVID-19 vaccines have been granted conditional marketing approval and three have been authorized for emergency use within the country, according to Zeng .

A total of eight COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for phase III clinical trial overseas, and one messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine met the ethical requirements for phase III clinical trial overseas, Zeng said.

China has supplied more than 350 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines abroad, including donations to more than 80 countries and exports to over 40 countries, the official said.

China has pledged to provide 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the COVAX cause, with the first batch officially rolling off the production line June 1 this year.

China’s research, development and application of vaccines has been marked by active cooperation with other countries, he added.

There has been cooperation on phase III clinical trials between Chinese vaccine developers and relevant organizations in more than 20 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Uzbekistan, the Philippines and Pakistan.

China’s valuable experience in fighting the epidemic is always putting people and their lives first, Zeng said.

China has delivered on its promise to contribute to improving COVID-19 vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries, he added.

At least 70 percent of the target population in China is expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of this year, according to Zeng.

The official noted that the locally transmitted COVID-19 cases reported recently suggest that the epidemic prevention and control situation remains grim.

Over 777.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across China as of Sunday, the NHC said yesterday.

The oldest vaccine recipients in China’s vaccination campaign, open to people aged over 18, are more than 100 years old, according to the health official.

Experts have already debated the safety and effectiveness of inoculating people aged 3 to 17, Zeng noted, saying that following approval by relevant authorities, vaccination will be open to people in this age group according to their needs.

(Xinhua)