China has announced that the World Health Organization (WHO) permitted the country to administer experimental coronavirus vaccines to people.
Zheng Zhongwei, a National Health Commission official, said this on Friday at a press briefing.
He also said that they would continue until the conclusion of clinical trials.
China launched the emergency programme in July.
Zhongwei said hundreds of thousands of essential workers and others considered at high risk of infection have been given the vaccine.
“Even though its efficacy and safety had not been fully established as Phase III clinical trials were incomplete, at the end of June, China’s State Council approved a plan of COVID-19 vaccine emergency use programme.
“After the approval, on June 29, we made a communication with the relevant representatives of the WHO Office in China, and obtained support and understanding from WHO,” Reuters quoted him as saying.
WHO Chief Scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, had said regulatory authorities in countries could approve use of medical products in emergency situation.
The United Nations health agency stressed that such measure is temporary.