A new vaccine against Covid-19 becomes authorized. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday the emergency registration of the Convidecia vaccine. It comes from the Chinese laboratories CanSino Biologics. The move comes as China battles a resurgence of the pandemic.

This vaccine is based on a modified human adenovirus and is administered in a single dose. The WHO recommends it for all age groups from 18 years. It is 64% effective for the symptomatic form of Covid-19 and 92% against severe forms.

The pursuit of zero Covid

It is the ninth anti-Covid vaccine or a variation of a vaccine to receive this precious sesame from the WHO, which is a seal of quality, efficacy and safety. This is an important indication for the health authorities of certain countries which do not have the means to carry out a serious evaluation themselves. This label also allows the international Covax system to use it if necessary for vaccination, particularly in poor countries.

China has had to deal with an unprecedented resurgence of the pandemic in the country in recent months, where the first cases of Covid-19 were detected at the end of 2019. The Omicron variant and its subvariants are so contagious that they reach to circumvent the very strict sanitary measures imposed by the Chinese authorities.

However, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, the country continues to apply its zero Covid strategy, not hesitating to confine giant agglomerations like Shanghai for example for long weeks. Living conditions so draconian that the populations begin to rebel. The WHO for its part considers that in the face of Omicron the policy of zero Covid "is not sustainable".