The first-generation of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines, including the Sinopharm vaccine and the Sinovac vaccine, are still effective, a National Health Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday.

A medical worker administers a dose of COVID-19 vaccine for a student at a vaccination site in Jinfeng district of Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 15, 2021. (Photo: Xinhua)

Four types of updated COVID-19 vaccines developed by Sinopharm subsidiary China National Biotech Group (CNBG) were recently unveiled at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS). This led people to wonder if current Chinese vaccines are effective against COVID-19 mutations.

Studies show that Chinese COVID-19 vaccines are effective both domestically and abroad, even against the widespread Delta variant, Zheng Zhongwei, a senior official of the National Health Commission, said at a media conference.

As of Monday, China had administered more than 2.11 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country. More than 969.7 million people finished their all-course inoculation.

Zheng said that although the COVID-19 virus has so far not fundamentally mutated, it’s necessary to be prepared for the possible scenario where current vaccines lose efficacy in the face of a new mutation.

The government started research and development work at an early stage, and is seeking to establish an evaluation and authorization system for vaccines targeting COVID-19 mutations, he said.