BEIJING (BLOOMBERG) - Sinopharm Group said its second coronavirus vaccine, this one developed by a subsidiary based in Wuhan, is effective in preventing Covid-19 in 72.5 per cent of people, less than its first shot but above the threshold for approval for general use.

To increase the odds of success, the company's vaccine subsidiary, China National Biotec Group, launched the development of two inoculations independently in its research institutes in Beijing and Wuhan.

The first shot, developed in Beijing, was effective in preventing Covid-19 in 79.3 per cent of people and has been approved for use in the general population. It has been deployed widely in China and elsewhere around the world.

The company has filed for conditional approval of the second vaccine with China's National Medical Products Administration on Feb 21, according to a statement posted on the website of CNBG subsidiary Wuhan Institute of Biological Products.