Lauterbach grants import permit for Chinese vaccine Sinovac

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A nurse holds up Biofarma's Sinovac vaccine

Photo: BAGUS INDAHONO/EPA

Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has granted an import license for the Chinese Sinovac vaccine.

"With this approval, we want to ensure that Chinese citizens are also protected here with their own vaccine," Lauterbach told SPIEGEL.

Accordingly, the vaccine may be imported into the Federal Republic of Germany from today and administered here exclusively to nationals of China.

The basis for this is an assessment by the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI).

Only the Chinese embassies and consulates are responsible for vaccination.

There had previously been concerns about the safety of Sinovac.

According to Lauterbach, these have now been eliminated after the assessment by the PEI, and there is now sufficient data on the vaccine.

On this basis, he could justify the release »without ifs and buts«.

Admission for Germans is not planned.

The fact that Sinovac is being introduced is a gesture of concession to Chinese citizens in Germany.

Lauterbach wants to give them more protection against the corona virus.

"I can well imagine that the citizens particularly trust the vaccine." With the approval, people in Germany who have received the Sinovac preparation will also be considered vaccinated in the future.

Previously, this status only existed for people who had been immunized with vaccines recognized in Germany.

Hope for Biontech deal

Behind the release is a possible deal that will soon also be able to deliver the Biontech vaccine to China: On his trip to the country, Chancellor Olaf Scholz had agreed on closer cooperation with the People's Republic in combating the pandemic.

He campaigned for the Biontech vaccine to be administered to German and European nationals in China.

So far, Chinese head of state Xi Jinping has not approved western vaccines - although according to several studies, the effectiveness of Chinese vaccines is not comparable to that of western ones.

Accordingly, mRNA vaccines avoid severe courses more reliably than those from China.

After Scholz's visit, Xi released Biontech's substance, at least for German citizens.

So far, China has had a strict zero-Covid policy, which many in the country are dissatisfied with.

In the meantime, the Chinese leadership has announced some easing.

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