As science teams around the world race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, one company is leading the way. CGTN reporter Liu Yang visited the world's largest inactivated COVID-19 vaccine plant in Beijing.
All geared up, researchers are entering the world's largest inactivated COVID-19 vaccine production plant – built by China National Biotec Group. It was finished in just 2 months. National biosafety experts made sure the construction standards and quality levels meet biosafety level III protection requirements. Experts say with the annual capacity at Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, the two will produce more than 200 million doses of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines annually.
LIU JINGZHEN Chairman, China National Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. "We are now working with the WHO and 20 other countries to advance international cooperation, and clinical and subsequent use of the vaccine. Next step, as required by Chinese President Xi Jinping, we will bring vaccines to the world as a global public health product."
Experts stress that in terms of effectiveness, the current inactivated vaccine, which developed with extensive testing on seven types of animals, including monkeys, mice, and rabbits, and combined with other physical and chemical tests, all have proven their effectiveness. More than two thousand people have participated in phase I and Phase II clinical trials, and the data shows that the incidence and degree of adverse reactions are much lower than that of all kinds of vaccines.
VACCINE TRIAL VOLUNTEER "After receiving the first dose of the vaccine, I had no discomfort, and my family members and relatives were also interested in joining the vaccine research."
VACCINE TRIAL VOLUNTEER "Since the first vaccination, I have been keeping good living habits, filling in observation records and providing standard data as required by the doctor."
With a history of more than 100 years, China National Biotec Group is the oldest biological blood products company in Asia. It supplies more than 80 percent of China's immunization program vaccines. The company also launched several research projects, such as the use of 20 heavy respiratory pathogens test and the development of specific immunoglobulin for the treatment of COVID-19.
LIU YANG Beijing "Experts say there is an unprecedented race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine worldwide at record speed. At the moment, more than 100 candidate vaccines are in development worldwide, 10 of which are already in clinical evaluation. The COVID-19 outbreak also serves as a reminder that the outbreak is not a matter of some people or one country, but a shared global challenge. LY, CGTN, Beijing."