BEIJING -- China has approved a domestically developed Ebola vaccine, according to the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) Friday.

The vaccine was developed by the Academy of Military Medical Sciences and CanSino Biologics INC.

Its approval makes China the third country to develop a vaccine against Ebola following the United States and Russia.

The vaccine is based on the 2014 mutant gene type and in the form of freeze-dried powder, which can remain stable for at least two weeks in temperatures of up to 37 degrees Celsius and is suitable for the climate in West Africa.

The vaccine was clinical-approved by the CFDA in Feb 2015 and has undergone clinical trials in Sierra Leone, one of the countries worst hit by Ebola.

The virus was discovered in 1976 and severely affected countries including Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone from 2013, claiming the lives of more than 11,000 people.