China’s Sinopharm vaccine gets global green light

The World Health Organization today endorsed China’s Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use. It’s the first COVID-19 vaccine from a non-Western country to get the global green light. The approval comes amid a growing shortage in vaccines, globally. Of the more than 1.25 billion vaccine doses that have gone into people’s arms around the world, just 5 million have gone to low-income countries. WHO’s director general said today he hopes the Sinopharm authorization will boost access to low income countries. The vaccine is easy to store, but its effectiveness had been previously questioned, even at one point from within China. The WHO review panel concluded the vaccine is safe and effective, though data is incomplete for those older than 60.