Bahrain approved the registration of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) on Sunday.
The news comes days after Bahrain approved the vaccine developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.
Bahrain’s National Health Regulatory Authority said the Sinopharm vaccine would be available in the country.
“The confirmation of approval by the National Health Regulatory Authority of the kingdom of Bahrain followed thorough analysis and review undertaken by the authority of all available data,” Bahrain said in a statement.
The statement did not specify which vaccine among the two being developed by Sinopharm but stated that data from Phase III clinical trials found an 86 percent efficacy rate.
The findings cited by the Bahraini government were the same as the data announced by the United Arab Emirates from an interim analysis of late-stage clinical trials for an inactivated vaccine helmed by Beijing Institute of Biological Product, a unit of Sinopharm’s China National Biotec Group (CNBG).
The UAE began its Phase III clinical trials last July. The trial was expanded to Bahrain, Egypt, and Jordan.
The Sinopharm vaccine has been given the green light for emergency use in a few countries and the firm is still conducting late-stage clinical trials in about 10 countries.
