China ropes in more countries for its COVID-19 vaccine trials

For some of these countries at least, approving final phases of clinical trials has been viewed as a means of securing early access to vaccines, because a number of wealthy nations have already bought doses pending approval and a World Health Organization (WHO) mechanism. In recent weeks, officials from Mexico, Bangladesh and Pakistan have been quoted in the media, stating about the trials as a means to gain future access to approved vaccines. On September 25, a Chinese health official said the WHO had given its backing to Chinaࢀ™s emergency use of experimental vaccines even though clinical trials have not…