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China produces over 30 percent of all vaccinations in the world. They say they will have a COVID-19 vaccination ready to go sometime in November, according to Wu Guizhen, head of biosafety at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, who spoke on state-operated CCTV. Guizhen says she took the vaccination in April and had no localized pain and is feeling great.
COVID-19 Vaccinations Already Being Tested on Humans
The Chinese government is already testing the vaccination on humans. Every member of the military was given the vaccination in June. CanSino Biologics produced that vaccination, and workers whose jobs required them to travel overseas could opt to receive this vaccination. The official government plan says that workers classified as at high risk of getting COVID, such as healthcare workers and custom officials, were given the vaccination in July. The government says that not everyone will need to be vaccinated. Among the first remaining ones will be those living overseas in virus hotspots.
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Mass Doses of Coronavirus Vaccination Being Prepared in China Several different companies are making vaccinations for the Chinese government. These vendors include China National Biotec Group, which is a division of state-owned Sinopharm. Sinovac Biotech is also making the vaccination. In all, about 100,000 people may have received the vaccination, according to a report on China National Radio. Residents are receiving three different vaccination. Two are coming from Sinopharm and one from Sinovac Biotech.
Are the Real Numbers Being Hidden?
Reports first indicated that the only ones to get the vaccination would be healthcare workers working directly with COVID-19 patients and some custom officials. In early September, Sinovac Biotech says that up to 90 % of the population had already received the vaccination. The government insists that the number is only about 3,000.
Are Other Countries Using the Vaccination?
Not everyone believes that giving the vaccination before safety tests are complete is a good idea. The Chinese government has also shared it with Peru and Brazil, with Indonesia scheduled to receive doses at the end of the month.
Is the Vaccination Safe?
While experts are very concerned that the vaccine could cause common side effects, they say rushing it to market poses even more dangers in China where vaccination scandals have been commonplace. The government has created a nine-prong plan to monitor for negative results in anyone taking the vaccination.
WHO Warning Vaccinations Not a Good Idea
The WHO has said that giving many people the vaccination before completing Phase 3 testing is not a good idea. Doctor John Moore, with Weili Cornell Medical College, says the purpose of Phase 3 testing is to spot underlying problems that may not be apparent when a limited number of people receive it. He says that after the first wave of COVID-19 hit the country from February through mid-March, there have been limited cases ever since. Therefore, the government could easily wait for the completion of testing.
South Korea Ordering 30 Million Doses
Officials with the South Korean government have said that they are ordering 30 million doses of the vaccinations for their residents. There is no timetable for when these doses might be available.
Vaccination Testing in Russia
The only country currently using a coronavirus vaccination on a large group of citizens that is not using the Chinese vaccination is Russia. The country became the first in the world to approve a COVID-19 vaccine on August 11, 2020. The Russians have named the vaccine Sputnik V. Officials report testing it on only 76 people before its release. They say that they can make 500 million doses annually.
United States COVID 19 Vaccination
Many in the United States have worried that the release of the vaccine may be politicized. The CDC had told states to prepare for vaccinating the country’s most vulnerable by the end of November. Nine makers of the vaccine in the United States have pledged to wait until completing Phase 3 testing to release the vaccine.