--- title: "China Approves COVID Vaccine Made From Hamster Cells" description: "China has officially approved its latest COVID-19 vaccine, its fifth to be exact. And it has one special ingredient: ovary cells from hamsters." date: "2021-03-17" modified: "2021-03-17" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/china-covid-vaccine-hamster-cells" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "china" - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "vaccine" - "vaccines" --- # China Approves COVID Vaccine Made From Hamster Cells ![China has officially approved its latest COVID-19 vaccine, its fifth to be exact. And it has one special ingredient: ovary cells from hamsters.]() *\Image: Image via Pixabay/Victor Tangermann\* China has officially approved its fifth and latest COVID-19 vaccine. And it has one special ingredient, [*The New York Times* reports](): ovary cells from hamsters. The vaccine itself was co-developed by local pharmaceutical Anhui Zhifei Longcom and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Its manufacturing process begins by placing genetic code from the virus's spike protein, the part that allows the virus to invade human cells, into the ovary cells of hamsters. Once the cells reach maturation, they are harvested and purified. Ovary cells from hamsters are commonly found in medical research, as the *Times* points out, and have been used in a variety of fields, from [embryonic stem cell research]() to more commercial applications. In fact, Chinese hamster ovary cells are the most widely used mammalian hosts in biological and medical research, according to a [2018 study](). But we still don't know for sure whether the vaccine actually works. Phase 3 trial data from trials taking place in China, Ecuador, Indonesia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, has yet to be released. Uzbekistan, however, has already approved the vaccine citing a trial involving 29,000 volunteers "progressing smoothly," according to the *Times*. Chinese health officials say the vaccine is easily manufactured, stored, and transported. But it does have an Achilles heel: it produces only a few T-cells. T-cells responsible for clearing out infected cells and preventing their spread. Without sufficient T-cells, the human immune system stands a higher chance of re-infection. ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()