HAIKOU, June 11. /TASS/. A number of clinics in Hainan's Haikou and Sanya have begun using a one-dose drug to vaccinate against COVID-19, reported www.hinews.cn. 

This is a vaccine by CanSino BIO company, which was previously approved for mass use National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). It is now possible to get vaccinated with this drug from June 7 in a number of medical institutions in Haikou and Sanya, so far only Chinese citizens can get a jab. This drug will be mainly used in cases where it is necessary to quickly go through the vaccination procedure, for example, for those who urgently leave abroad.

To date, more than 5 million people have undergone the full vaccination procedure on Hainan, and more than 7 million have received the first dose of the drug. Despite the fact that the Chinese authorities approved vaccination in the age group from 3 to 17 years old, however, in this southern province of China, the main focus is still on vaccinating people over 18 years old.

The effectiveness of a one-dose CanSino BIO vaccine in preventing symptomatic cases of coronavirus infection, the developer claims, reaches about 65%. When it comes to preventing severe complications caused by COVID-19, its effectiveness reaches about 90% after 28 days from the date of vaccination. The drug is also able to protect against various mutated strains. The vaccine is valid for about six months.