SINOVAC COVID-19 Vaccine Approved for Use in Children Above 6 months of Age in Hong Kong

Sinovac Biotech Ltd. announced that based on related clinical trials and studies of vaccination for local children and adolescents, the Health Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China has approved the Company’s COVID-19 vaccine (CoronaVac), intended for children aged 6 months to 3 years.

The vaccination schedule for this age group follows the same vaccination schedule of older children. Three doses of vaccines will be used for children aged six months to under three years of age, with the first two doses given 28 days apart followed by a third dose at least 3 months after the second dose, and there is no restriction on the application for immunosuppressed children.

The Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases under the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, joined by the Chief Executive’s expert advisory panel, issued the consensus interim recommendations on the use of COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 6 months or above in Hong Kong on August 1, 2022.

SINOVAC initiated its COVID-19 vaccine (CoronaVac) phase III clinical studies among children aged 6 months to 17 years since 2021. Preliminary results show the vaccine has a good safety and immunogenicity profile, with no severe adverse reaction reported 6 months after two doses of vaccination among children aged 6 months to 35 months.

CoronaVac has been authorized for emergency use for minors and adults above 3 years old in Hong Kong since February 15, 2022. As of August 2022, CoronaVac has been approved for use in minors in 14 countries in Latin America that include Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, as well as in other countries in the Asia and Africa regions.