The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has surpassed 161 million, with more than 3.3 million deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday said the COVID-19 pandemic's second year was on track to be its deadliest, as he urged rich countries to reconsider plans to vaccinate children and instead donate COVID-19 shots to the COVAX scheme for poorer countries.

"I understand why some countries want to vaccinate their children and adolescents, but right now I urge them to reconsider and to instead donate vaccines to COVAX," he told a virtual meeting in Geneva.

China's drug authority has granted emergency use approval to a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products, the company said on Friday.

In a statement, Kangtai said it is currently conducting Phase III trials for the inactivated vaccine.

Kangtai has also obtained the exclusive right to develop and manufacture the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University on the Chinese mainland.