Naaju Breaking News, Live Updates, Latest Headlines, Viral News, Top Stories, Trending Topics, Videos
[ad_1]
The two main Chinese vaccines against covid-19 have recently received negative news – rising infections and even deaths among the populations vaccinated Sinovac and Sinopharm.
This has raised doubts about the effectiveness of these vaccines, although experts also point out that they have saved many lives.
Both vaccines are widely used in netherlands and middle income, so its implications could be huge.
But are the fears justified? And what can governments that use these vaccines do to protect their populations?
How vaccines work
Vaccines manufactured by Sinovac Biotech, based in Beijing, and the real estate Sinopharm They use inactivated viruses to trigger the production of antibodies that fight the coronavirus.
The virus dies before it is injected into people’s bodies, so it cannot transmit the virus. covid19.
In a large trial in Brazil, two doses of the Sinovac vaccine, given 14 days apart, they were 51% effective against symptomatic covid-19. In trials carried out in several countries, the results of Sinopharm have been greater than 79%.
These results reflect specific test conditions, but even the lowest result for Sinovac was good enough to receive the Emergency approval from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Vaccines have one crucial feature: they can be stored at normal refrigerator temperature, making them easier to use in poorer countries that do not have access to specialized storage facilities.
Both are used in nearly 100 countries in Asia, South America and parts of Africa. Egypt and Morocco recently announced that they would be the first countries in Africa to start manufacturing the vaccines.
Airfinity, a science analysis company, says this year could produce up to 2.9 billion doses of Sinovac (More than 943 million have already been delivered).
Where people get sick
Chile, Mongolia and Seychelles are among the countries where infections are increasing despite mass vaccination.
Chile reinstates curfew and reimposed travel restrictions in response to the Delta variant, which is more transferable than previous variants.
More than 70% of Chileans are fully vaccinated, the majority with the Sinovac vaccine.
Seychelles and Mongolia, for their part, recorded part of the higher increases in the number of cases per capita, despite the small size of their populations.
Both countries rely heavily on Sinopharm and their vaccination programs are advanced: 68% of adults are fully vaccinated in Seychelles and 55% in Mongolia.
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, the main association of doctors and nurses said at least 30 health workers have died despite receiving two doses of the Sinovac vaccine.
So do vaccines fail?
Vaccines are not the only factor explaining what is happening in these countries.
Indonesia’s leading medical association said comorbidity may have played a role in the deaths of health workers.
With only 5% of its population fully vaccinated, the country is at “on the verge of a catastrophe”, says the Red Cross, whose health workers face long working hours and high exposure to the virus.
In Chile, some experts blamed the increase in cases in April on the fact that people mingled very quickly after receiving the vaccine, especially after the first dose, which offers only partial protection.
Officials from Mongolia and Seychelles said most of those who died were in intensive care or had not been vaccinated.
In addition, experts point out that no vaccine offers 100% protection– Will not necessarily prevent people from contracting the virus or getting sick
Professor Fiona Russell, of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Australia, told the BBC that the most important feature of vaccines is prevent severe forms of illness and death. To that end, all vaccines work well, he added.
In Brazilian trials, Sinovac was shown to be 100% effective against severe forms of illness and hospitalization. The effectiveness of Sinopharm was 79% against hospitalizations.
Professor Ben Cowling, head of epidemiology and biostatics at the University of Hong Kong, said that despite “modest effectiveness” against symptomatic Covid, Sinovac and Sinopharm provide “a very high level of protection“against severe forms of the disease.
“This means that these vaccines have already saved many lives,” he told the BBC.
How variants affect vaccines
However, studies have tested vaccines against original virus found in the Chinese city of Wuhan. No new data has been published on their ranking in relation to the new variants.
Based on studies attempting to measure the immune protection of the virus, Professor Cowling estimates that the protection offered by inactivated virus vaccines against the variant Delta it can go up to one 20% less compared to the original strain.
Their calculations suggest an even greater reduction compared to the Beta variant, first discovered in South Africa.
Professor Jin dong-yan, a virologist also at the University of Hong Kong, told the BBC that it “was to be expected” that the effectiveness of Chinese vaccines would decrease against variants, including Delta.
But he said Sinovac and Sinopharm were “good vaccines” and people who don’t have access to vaccines with higher efficacy results. they should get their injections.
However, he said that these people should continue to practice social distancing rules and other measures to slow the infection curve.
Should we be getting booster shots?
More and more experts and governments are in favor of booster injections the same vaccine or a combination of the two, although there aren’t many studies that prove it works.
Professor Jin said a booster of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines could increase the original protection administered by dose of Sinovac or Sinopharm.
In Indonesia, frontline covid-19 workers will receive a booster of Moderna two weeks after receiving the dose of Sinovac; while Bahrain urges those over 50 to get a Pfizer booster after two doses of Sinopharm.
The United Arab Emirates and Turkey offer their citizens a third dose of Sinopharm and Sinovac, respectively; while Thailand is considering the same.
But Professor Cowling questioned the benefits of pushing for a third vaccine in Indonesia, where the vaccination program is still in its infancy.
“You have to think carefully about the potential benefits of a third dose versus how two doses might help an elderly person in a community where they have not yet had a chance to get the vaccine,” he said. .
Sinovac Biotech has stated that it is conducting clinical trials on effectiveness of a third dose and that the results are encouraging. But he insisted that two doses are enough to provide protection against covid-19.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbi said Chinese vaccines “have gained a good reputation in the international community and their safety and efficacy are widely recognized.”
.
[ad_2]
Source link
