The World Health Organization has announced that it is working with the government of China on requirements for international approval of any Chinese Covid-19 vaccine.

The development was announced Monday evening during a press briefing in Geneva.

Mariangela Simao, the organisation’s assistant director said that "WHO’s office in China and WHO headquarters have been working with the regulatory authorities in China,” adding that "We are in direct contact, we have been sharing information and the requirements for international approval of vaccines.”

This, according to various reports, comes at a time 90% of the Chinese firm’s employees and their families have taken an experimental vaccine it has developed under the country’s emergency use program.

China is among a few countries which are currently experimenting with local vaccines.

So far nine candidate vaccines are currently being supported by CEPI; two are currently being tested in South Africa, in addition to other regions around the world.