Sinopharm CNBG is one of China's main producers of COVID-19 vaccines. The company has two production sites. One is in Beijing, the other is in Wuhan. CGTN's Cen Ziyuan takes us behind the scenes to the facility in the Chinese capital.
This facility is capable of producing one billion doses of a key COVID-19 vaccine, annually. That's according to Sinopharm, who runs the site through its subsidiary, the Beijing Institute of Biological Products.
WANG HUI General Manager, Beijing Institute of Biological Products "One billion doses are divided into so many weeks. It has a repair and check-up procedure, according to the good manufacturing practice requirements. Every ten hours, the machines stop and go through a check-up procedure."
CEN ZIYUAN Beijing "I am at one of the production sites of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine. This is located at the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, a subsidiary of the company. This site has the capacity of producing COVID-19 vaccine on the site. This is a packaging workshop right beside me. The machine will go through a ten-hour check-up. I mean after ten hours, the machine will go through a check-up. That's why they are standing here on hold here and wait for the machines to be ready to resume operation."
The Chinese Foreign Ministry says the country has donated vaccines to 53 developing countries, and sold vaccines to 22 others.
WANG HUI General Manager, Beijing Institute of Biological Products "We already have measures in place to handle the situation if the strength and efficacy of the vaccine drops. We have plans to develop and produce co-strain and multi-strain vaccines."
The company is now seeking approval for a second COVID-19 vaccine.
The new one has been developed by Sinopharm's subsidiary, the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products. It's been in phase-three clinical trials in various countries since June.
WANG HUI General Manager, Beijing Institute of Biological Products "We've completed clinical trials on the age group three to seventeen. We've already submitted our report to national regulators."
The company says it hopes to contribute its fair share to the global vaccination drive, especially by making vaccines accessible and affordable to developing countries. Cen Ziyuan, CGTN, BEIJING.
