Sharjah 24 – WAM: The World Health Organisation (WHO) validated the Sinovac-CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, giving countries, funders, procuring agencies and communities the assurance that it meets international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing.

WHO said the decision was made after its Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) had also completed its review of the vaccine.

"On the basis of available evidence, WHO recommends the vaccine for use in adults 18 years and older, in a two-dose schedule with a spacing of two to four weeks. Vaccine efficacy results showed that the vaccine prevented symptomatic disease in 51 percent of those vaccinated and prevented severe COVID-19 and hospitalization in 100 percent of the studied population," the international organisation said in a press release.

The Sinovac-CoronaVac product is an inactivated vaccine. Its easy storage requirements make it very manageable and particularly suitable for low-resource settings. The vaccine is produced by the Beijing-based pharmaceutical company Sinovac.