Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Clinical trial research team leader Covid-19 vaccine, Kusnandi Rusmil explained the question Moderna vaccine booster prioritized for health workers and booster vaksin Sinovac.
Kusnandi explained that the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, which was developed using the mRNA technique, has a higher immunogenicity than the inactivated vaccine used by Sinovac.
The technique of making vaccines with inactivated viruses, such as Sinovac, has been a vaccine manufacturing practice since 1958.
“Moderna with the mRNA technique has a higher technique than inactivated from Sinovac. We have been used to using Sinovac since 58, starting from full-time tetanus, it’s inactivated. The only problem is that its immunogenicity is not as good as mRNA,” he explained to CNNIndonesia.com via telephone, Thursday (29/7).
However, the Sinovac vaccine has the advantage of being easy to store. So that this vaccine is also easier to distribute.
This is because mRNA vaccines require a special storage area with a certain temperature to maintain the quality of the vaccine. Modern vaccine storage, said Kusnandi, must be stored in a refrigerator that has a temperature of -20 to -40 degrees Celsius.
He also admitted that there was a decrease in the active substance of the Covid-19 vaccine made by Sinovac after six months of the second injection.
Kusnadi said the finding of a decrease in the resistance of the Covid-19 vaccine from Sinovac Biotech had been reported to the Ministry of Health.
“Six months after the second injection there was a decrease in the level of the active substance, and I have reported this to the Ministry of Health, so the Ministry of Health decided that it was recommended to do a repeat. [penyuntikan vaksin], “said Kusnandi.
With the finding of a decrease in the effectiveness of the vaccine, the government decided to carry out a third vaccine injection, which was prioritized for health workers.
According to Kusnadi, the priority of the third injection for health workers is because they are the spearhead for implementing immunization and public health care. Especially now that many health workers have died from Covid-19.
“Because it is health workers who carry out immunizations for the community. We know that there are more than 600 doctors who have died. So the third dose of Moderna is given. This Moderna has good effectiveness, so it is safe to give it too.”
Previously, Sinovac claimed to have completed Phase II clinical trials for a third or booster dose. The company claims the boosters increased test participants’ antibodies 10-fold in a week and 20-fold in half a month.
“Sinovac has also completed a Phase II clinical trial in which participants were injected with a third booster dose after completing two regular injections,” said Sinovac Chairman Yin Weidong.
However, Yin said Sinovac still needs to carry out long-term observations of the antibodies before making recommendations on when the third dose should be given.
Meanwhile last month (10/6) Kusnadi stated that he would conduct clinical trials on the use of the third dose or booster of the Sinovac vaccine to increase antibodies.
Head of the Unpad Covid-19 Vaccine Clinical Trial Research Team Kusnandi Rusmil said his party would submit the clinical trial plan to the research ethics committee first.
The Sinovac vaccine called CoronaVac is a vaccine with an inactivated virus element. The vaccine also contains aluminum hydroxide (aluminum hydroxide) which is claimed to increase the vaccine’s ability.
Other content in CoronaVac is a phosphate solution which acts as a stabilizer and a salt solution or sodium chloride (NaCl) as an isotonic to provide comfort in injection.
(can/eks)
– .
