Nature - USA (2020-10-15)

By David Cyranoski

I

n the race for a coronavirus vaccine, China

is making bold promises. A Chinese health

official has publicly pledged that an effec-

tive coronavirus vaccine will be available

by the end of the year. The country has also

committed to sharing its vaccines with more

than a dozen nations, particularly low-income

countries with which it has close ties. But even

if a vaccine is ready soon, some scientists ques-

tion whether the country can produce enough

doses to meet its commitments, and whether

deals with individual countries are the best

way to ensure equitable vaccine distribution.

Wu Guizhen, the chief biosafety specialist

at China’s Center for Disease Control and Pre-

vention in Beijing, told Chinese state media

last month that two vaccines developed by

Shanghai pharmaceutical group Sinopharm

will be available in November or December.

The vaccines are being tested in countries

including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain,

Peru and Argentina.

And on 9 October, China announced that

it had joined COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access

(COVAX), a collaborative effort by Gavi, the

Vaccine Alliance, together with the Coalition

for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)

and the World Health Organization (WHO).

COVAX is aiming to provide two billion doses

of vaccine to the most vulnerable people and

to health-care workers, especially in poor coun-

tries. Some 80 wealthy ‘self-funding’ countries

have committed to support the initiative, with

the notable exception of the United States. It is

not clear yet whether China will commit money

or vaccines, or how much of either.

Chinese vaccine makers have developed

four of the roughly dozen leading candidate

vaccines that are in the final stages of testing

worldwide. No vaccine has yet completed

the crucial phase III trials that are needed to

firmly establish safety and efficacy. However,

hundreds of thousands of people in China and

Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac is trialling its COVID-19 vaccine in Brazil.

SILVIO AVILA/AFP/GETTY

China has promised vaccines to many countries,

but whether it can meet its commitments is unclear.

WHAT CHINA’S SPEEDY

COVID-VACCINE DEPLOYMENT

MEANS FOR THE PANDEMIC

Nature | Vol 586 | 15 October 2020 | 343

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