China's Medical Products Administration has given green light to five Chinese coronavirus vaccines for human trials, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology.

More vaccines are expected to get approval for clinical trials soon, the ministry said.

Scientists around the globe are racing for a vaccine for COVID-19, which has claimed over 450,000 lives so far.

Around 10 potential vaccines are now undergoing human trials, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Earlier this week, a Chinese COVID-19 candidate vaccine passed phase-one and phase-two clinical trials, showing no "serious adverse reactions" with all volunteers generating antibodies after two doses in 28 days.

A Chinese COVID-19 candidate vaccine has passed phase one and two clinical trials. The vaccine showed no "serious adverse reactions" with all volunteers generating antibodies after two doses in 28 days, its developer China National Biotec Group (CNBG) said on Tuesday.

The vaccine, developed by a CNBG subsidiary, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, is the world's first inactivated COVID-19 vaccine.

The human trials began in Wuzhi County, central China's Henan Province on April 12. A total of 1,120 volunteers aged between 18 and 59 were inoculated with two doses in 28 days, according to CNBG.

In the randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial, all volunteers generated high levels of neutralizing antibodies, which can block pathogens from infecting human cells, the company said.

The study is the world's first clinical trial to obtain safety and effectiveness data of a two-dose inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, CNBG said, adding that the clinical trial has lasted the longest period of time (66 days) and got the most comprehensive data, as well as the most satisfying results among all COVID-19 vaccines to date.

The results have provided scientific and evaluable data for COVID-19 prevention and vaccine emergency use in China, the company said.

China has the world's highest number of vaccine candidates for COVID-19, with five undergoing clinical trials.

The WHO has expressed hope that hundreds of millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine can be produced this year and two billion doses by the end of 2021.