A Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine with an inactivated virus mechanism was 79% effective in a Phase III test, which was conducted outside of China because so few cases exist in China. The positive results reflected an early interim analysis of the data, though few details of the trial, such as the number of participants, were released. The two mRNA vaccines approved for use in the US and UK surprised experts with their 95% efficacy. Before those stellar results, any vaccine that protected more than 50% of subjects was expected to be competitive.

Sinopharm has submitted data to China's regulators for approval of the vaccine.

"The protective effect of the (Sinopharm CNBG Beijing) vaccine against Covid-19 is 79.34%," said the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, a Sinopharm subsidiary.

Earlier this month, the United Arab Emirates approved a Sinopharm vaccine that was 86% effective in a trial conducted there, though because Sinopharm has several vaccines in clinical trials, it isn't clear that both trials tested the same vaccine. It was the first ex-China country to approve a China-developed Covid-19 vaccine.

Outside observers are frustrated that China companies have not released more data about their trials, which would allow outsiders to have more confidence in the results.  

In China, more than one million people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 based on early trials that were powered to prove safety of the products. The country has five vaccines in Phase III trials and has positioned itself to be the low-cost provider of vaccine to other Asian countries.

"China has made the firm commitment that after China's new coronavirus vaccines are completed and put into use, they will serve as a global public product and be supplied to the world at a fair and reasonable price," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Friday. "We will also give priority to developing countries for vaccines. This will be made through a variety of ways, including through donations and aid."

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Disclosure: none.