The World Health Organisation has given China its support and understanding to start administering experimental coronavirus vaccines to people while clinical trials were still underway, Reuters reported quoting a Chinese health official.

China launched its emergency programme in July, having communicated with the WHO in late June, according to Zheng Zhongwei, a National Health Commission official.

Hundreds of thousands of essential workers and other limited groups of people considered at high risk of infection have been given the vaccine, even though its efficacy and safety had not been fully established as Phase 3 clinical trials were incomplete.