China approved a Covid-19 vaccine developed by an affiliate of state-backed pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm, its first approved shot for general public use as it braces for increased transmission risks over winter.

No detailed efficacy data of the vaccine has been publicly released but its developer, Beijing Biological Products Institute, a unit of Sinopharm subsidiary China National Biotec Group (CNBG), said has said its vaccine was 79.34 per cent effective in preventing people from developing the disease based on interim data.

While China has been slower than several other countries in approving Covid-19 vaccines, it has been inoculating its citizens for months with three different shots still undergoing late-stage trials, according to Reuters.

China launched an emergency use programme in July aimed at essential workers and others at high risk of infection and as of the end of November, had administered 1.5 million doses using at least three different products — two developed by CNBG and one by Sinovac.