China approves 1st domestic mRNA vaccine for COVID-19

China has approved its first locally developed messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine against COVID-19, its manufacturer said on Wednesday.

The vaccine, developed by CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd, has been approved for "emergency use" by Beijing's health regulator, the company said in a statement.

It showed high efficacy in a trial in which it was used as a booster shot for people who have been given other types of vaccines, the company added, without offering further details.

mRNA vaccines are considered among the most effective in reducing severe infections and deaths.

While traditional vaccines use a weakened or inactivated germ to prepare the body for a future attack from the real virus, mRNA deploys snippets of genetic material that carry instructions showing the body's cells how to produce a protein – in this case, the spike protein on the coronavirus that causes COVID.

The body's immune system then triggers antibodies to fight off that spike protein, making it ready for when the real coronavirus comes knocking.