China’s coronavirus vaccine Sinovac, which is being applied in Mexico, cut the risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19 in half in a key Brazilian study, suggesting that two doses of the injection are less potent than several of the other immunizations designed to control the pandemic in course.
The study, which was published online and has not yet been reviewed by independent scientists, showed that the vaccine was nevertheless more effective in protecting against dangerous infections. None of those who received the CoronaVac injection developed a serious illness.
Results from the trial involving 9,823 volunteers reinforced similar findings from a larger Brazilian study published last week that found a 50 percent protection rate 14 days after the first dose. Efficacy does not reach results of mRNA vaccines from companies like Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna, which have been shown to prevent about 94 percent of infections.
Lowest efficiency may be one of the reasons why some Chinese officials have raised the idea that the country’s vaccines may need to be given in combination with other injections.
Gao Fu, director of the China Disease Control Center, said steps such as changing the amount of vaccine administered, the amount of time between doses or the type of injection administered were possible ways to increase the potency of vaccines.
He later told the Global Times newspaper that his comments were misunderstood and that increasing the effectiveness of the vaccine is a universal challenge, the Times wrote.
And in Chile they defend it
The Minister of Science of Chile made this Sunday a strong defense of the vaccine Sinovac, after the highest authority of China’s disease control agency said that the effectiveness of its vaccines against COVID-19 is low and the government of that Asian country is considering changing them.
“In relation to the doubts that press articles have raised” about the Chinese Sinovac vaccine, “we reiterate the importance of framing the discussion in the available evidence,” said Minister Andrés Couve. “We have scientific studies with the highest standards to evaluate its safety and effectiveness,” he added.
Chile was one of the first countries in the world to bet on inoculation with the Chinese vaccine and it has immunized the majority of its population with it. So far it has applied more than 10 million doses, according to data from the Ministry of Health. The South American country has also used the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine on a smaller scale (more than 1.4 million doses).
With AP information
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