Manama: Bahrain has approved the registration of a coronavirus vaccine developed by China National Pharmaceutical Group known as Sinopharm.
The National Health Regulatory Authority of Bahrain said on Sunday it had approved the registration of Sinopharm’s coronavirus vaccine after a thorough review and evaluation of the clinical trials data from various countries.
The statement cited data from Phase III clinical trials that showed an 86% efficacy rate, a 99 percent seroconversion rate of neutralising antibody and 100 percent effectiveness in preventing moderate and severe cases of Covid-19.
Bahrain had participated in Phase III trials of the approved vaccine in which more than 7,700 volunteers signed up, the statement added. The authority had previously authorised Sinopharm’s vaccine for emergency use to frontline professionals in contact with Covid-19 patients.
The vaccine was authorized last week for use in the United Arab Emirates after evaluating the analysis of late-stage clinical trials, which showed an 86 percent efficacy rate.
In July the UAE started Phase III clinical trials for the vaccine and the trial was expanded to Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt.
Bahrain, which earlier this month granted emergency use authorisation for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, had said on December 10 that it would provide COVID-19 vaccine for free for all citizens and residents.
Egypt plans to start the process of inoculation against the coronavirus after receiving the first shipments of Sinopharm vaccine. Peru has temporarily suspended trials of the vaccine after an unspecified “adverse event” was reported during a clinical trial.
