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.

African countries like Morocco are initially relying on the Chinese-developed Sinopharm vaccine

Morocco is planning for a massive COVID-19 vaccination program, with the goal of vaccinating 80 percent of its adults in a program that will begin this month. The country will initially rely on the Sinopharm vaccine.

The BioNTech-Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is 95 percent effective, while another vaccine candidate from Moderna said its vaccine is 94.5 effective.

Meanwhile, data from another COVID-19 vaccine candidate from Oxford University and AstraZeneca has an average efficacy rate of 70%.

In the United States, the first BioNTech Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shots will start arriving every state on  Monday morning.

Healthcare workers will begin to get vaccine shots as soon as Monday while nursing home residents will be receiving them by the end of next week, Perna said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the vaccine can be given to people aged 16 and older.

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