The Sinovac coronavirus vaccine candidate appears safe for older people, according to the preliminary results released by the Chinese firm.
The early to mid-stage trial of Sinovac Biotech Ltd (SVA.O) showed that the immune responses produced by the vaccine were slightly weaker than younger adults.
There were no side effects found during the combined Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials of the Sinovac coronavirus vaccine candidate called CoronaVac. The trials were held in May involving 421 participants aged at least 60, according to Liu Peicheng, Sinovac’s media representative. The findings have not been released and were not made available to Reuters.
Four of the eight Covid-19 vaccines being developed throughout the world that are in the third phase of trials are from China.
Three groups of respondents took two shots of low, medium, and high-dose CoronaVac. Over 90% of them manifested a substantial rise in antibody levels, while the levels were lower than those seen in younger subjects but in line with expectation.
CoronaVac was being studied in Brazil and Indonesia in the final-stage human trials to determine its safety and efficacy which will qualify it for regulatory approvals for mass use.
The Sinovac coronavirus vaccine candidate has been taken by tens of thousands of people, including about 90% of Sinovac staff and their families, as an effort of China to protect people exposed to high infection risk.
The candidate vaccine could remain usable for up to three years in storage, Liu said. With this, CoronaVa will be much easier to distribute to regions where cold-chain storage is not an option.
Vaccine distribution
A group of drugmakers will release a statement that promises the safety of bringing a coronavirus vaccine to the market.
The public statement of the drugmakers will pledge that they will not ask for government approval until enough data has been gathered to ensure the safety and efficacy of treatments, according to a CNBC report.
The Wall Street Journal reported that an early draft of the joint statement focuses on the safety of vaccinated people. The Journal mentioned that Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna are expected to join the pledge. CNBC said that Sanofi also plans to join other drugmakers.
In terms of efficacy, Dr. Carlos del Rio of Emory University said that a coronavirus vaccine that is safe and at least 50% effective would be a “game-changer” in fighting the pandemic.
“Developing vaccines against respiratory virus is incredibly difficult. If you think about the flu vaccine that we use every year, it’s only about 40% to 60% effective,” Dr. Carlos del Rio of Emory University said during an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
“A 50% efficacy would be transformative. It’s much better than zero, which is what we have right now,” del Rio told CNBC. “So I think it’d really be a game changer if we get a vaccine with 50% or greater efficacy.”
“Phase three doesn’t mean nearly there,” Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, said during a virtual panel discussion with “NBC Nightly News” Anchor Lester Holt hosted by the Aspen Security Forum. “Phase three means this is the first time this vaccine has been put into the general population into otherwise healthy individuals to see if the vaccine will protect them against natural infection.”
