Sinovac Biotech said on Saturday that its unit's COVID-19 vaccine has been formally approved for use by the general public by China's medical products regulator.
It marks the second COVID-19 vaccine green-lighted for public use in China, after a shot developed by a Beijing institute affiliated to state-owned China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) was approved in December.
Prior to the approvals, both vaccines have already been used in China's vaccination program mainly targeting key groups deemed to be at higher risk of exposure to the virus.
Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, and Laos have granted emergency authorizations for the CoronaVac vaccine developed by Sinovac Life Sciences, Sinovac said in a news release.
The approval is based on the two-month results from late-stage clinical trials overseas, from which the final analysis data has not yet been obtained, Sinovac said.
Scottish National Party (SNP) veteran John Swinney was elected as its new leader on Monday and is set to replace Humza Yousaf as Scotland's first minister after he emerged as the sole contender in the contest to pick a new premier.
Israel's military carried out airstrikes in Rafah on Monday, residents said, hours after Israel told Palestinians to evacuate parts of the southern Gaza city where more than a million people uprooted by the war have been sheltering.
Russia said on Monday it would practice the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons as part of a military exercise after what Moscow said were threats from France, Britain, and the United States.
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued a statement to the UAE Armed Forces expressing his thanks and appreciation as the nation celebrates the 48th anniversary of the unification of the UAE Armed Forces.