Dimas Tadeu Covas, left, Director of the Butantan Institute, Jean Gorinchteyn, Health Secretary of the state of Sao Paulo, center, and Joao Gabardo, Executive Coordinator of de Contingency Center of Sao Paulo, give a press conference regarding the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines test results, at headquarters of the Butantan Institute in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Dec 23, 2020. (PHOTO / AP)

SAO PAULO－Brazil's state-run Butantan Institute on Wednesday said the Chinese-developed COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac has met the standards of efficacy required by the World Health Organization.

Around 13,000 Brazilian volunteers have taken in part in trials of the vaccine, which was made by Sinovac Life Science.

"The data corroborate that it is the safest vaccine on the market and we achieved the superiority in efficacy required by the WHO and Brazil's Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa)," Dimas Covas, director of the institute, said in a news conference.

The level of efficacy required by the WHO is greater than 50 percent, he said.

Also at the conference was Jean Gorinchteyn, secretary of health for the Sao Paulo state government.

The data corroborate that it is the safest vaccine on the market and we achieved the superiority in efficacy required by the WHO and Brazil's Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa).

Dimas Covas, Director of the Butantan Institute

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"We have reached the level of effectiveness that allows us to request the registration for emergency use of the vaccine both here and in China. It is a historic day for Brazilian science because of the hope it brings to Brazilians," Covas said.

The state signed a contract with Sinovac Life Science in June to develop the CoronaVac vaccine at the Butantan Institute, the main supplier of vaccines for the Brazilian health ministry and the largest flu vaccine manufacturer in the southern hemisphere, according to the institute's website.

Gorinchteyn said the authorities expect to begin statewide vaccination of essential workers and those most at risk on Jan 25, after CoronaVac is registered with Anvisa.

The contract provides for 46 million doses until the end of February.

CoronaVac has now been incorporated by Brazil's health ministry into its 2021 national COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

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Gorinchteyn said a shipment of 5.5 million doses will arrive at the Campinas international airport on Thursday, raising the total doses of the CoronaVac vaccine in Brazil to 10.8 million.

Covas said the contract with Sinovac allows the Butantan Institute to reach agreements with other countries.

"There are contracts in the signing phase and the one that is most advanced so far is with Argentina. We should sign this agreement this week or next," said Covas.