China has approved its first single-dose Covid-19 vaccine for use, state media reported on Friday. The Ad5-nCoV vaccine, which was the first in the world to enter clinical trials on March 16 last year, has been jointly developed by CanSino Biologics and the Institute of Military Medicine of the Academy of Military Sciences.

Source: Asian Development Bank

The developers say they currently have a production capacity of 500 million doses a year, with a single dose providing patients with dual hormone and cellular immunity against the Covid-19 virus. It is the only single-dose vaccine currently approved for use in China.

According to the Global Times, one dose would provide projection for at least six months, starting from 14 days after inoculation. If a second dose is taken after six months, a patient’s immune response would increase by 10 to 20 times, Academy of Military Sciences infectious disease expert Chen Wei told CCTV. Researchers predict that two doses would prove effective for two years.

Clinical trails have been carried out in countries around the world, including Pakistan, which reported 90 percent protection against severe illness and 65.7 percent effectiveness against all symptomatic cases. Chen said clinical trails have been completed and the data would be released shortly.

No serious side effects have yet been reported and the vaccine can be stored at 2-8°C, negating the need for the ultra-cold storage and transpiration required for the American Pfizer vaccine. As with all the vaccines currently on the market, however, key information, such as whether the vaccine can prevent people from passing on the virus, remains unknown.

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Keywords: China approves single-dose Covid vaccine