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China aims to make 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses a year

WION Web Team
Beijing, ChinaUpdated: Sep 25, 2020, 05:36 PM IST
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Photograph:(Reuters)

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The said capacity is expected to reach 610 million doses by the end of this year, Zheng Zhongwei from the National Health Commission said. 

China's annual production capacity for coronavirus vaccines will top 1 billion doses next year, a Chinese health official said on Friday.

The said capacity is expected to reach 610 million doses by the end of this year, Zheng Zhongwei from the National Health Commission said. 

"Next year, our annual capacity will reach more than 1 billion doses," he said at a news conference.

American pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Moderna aim to produce a billion doses each in 2021 as well.

Zheng said distribution of the vaccines would prioritise groups such as medical workers, border personnel and the elderly before they are made available to the general public.

China has 11 vaccine candidates in human trials, with four of them currently in the third and final trials.

More than 150 countries are setting up the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, or COVAX, under the World Health Organisation. Their target is to make 2 billion doses.