China has approved early-stage human tests for two experimental coronavirus vaccines.
State news agency Xinhua reported the breakthrough on Tuesday.
The vaccines are being developed by Sinovac Biotech and by the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, an affiliate of state-owned China National Pharmaceutical Group.
China’s National Health Commission has confirmed the trials will go ahead.
Work on the trials on the global pandemic commenced in March 2020.
“We can confirm now that three particular vaccines are being tested in China, and the National Health Commission has said it will have to clear several conditions before they can enable mass production of the vaccines globally,” Al-Jazeera’s Sarah Clarke reported.
“A total of 500 people signed up to volunteer for that in the first phase, which looked at the safety of this vaccine, and the second phase has now introduced a placebo control group,” she said.
Coronavirus has claimed over 120,000 lives and affected nearly 2 million people.
On Monday, China reported the highest number of new coronavirus cases in over five weeks.
The country is battling to prevent more COVID-19 infections, weeks after containing the outbreak.
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