By 98 percent when administered in 3 doses
A study by the University of Hong Kong revealed that three shots of CoronaVac offered approximately 98 percent protection against death or severe illness in those over 60 years old, underscoring the importance of boosters for those who have received that Covid-19 shot.
Specifically, after the three-dose booster vaccination for people over 60 years old, the effective rate of Sinovac vaccine against severe illness was 97.9 percent, and the effective rate of BioNTech vaccine was 98.0 percent. The effective rates in preventing the death of Sinovac and BioNTech were 98.3 percent and 98.1 percent respectively.
The study also showed that for people over 60 years old, in the case of completing two doses of vaccine, the effective rates of Sinovac and BioNTech in preventing severe illness were 72.2 percent and 89.6 percent, respectively; the effective rates in preventing death were 77.4 percent and 92.3 percent, respectively. Real-world studies have confirmed the effectiveness of China’s inactivated vaccine, and its safety advantages cannot be ignored. It can avoid relatively serious adverse reactions, such as a large number of fever, myocarditis, and acute allergic reactions caused by the large-scale use of mRNA vaccines.
The findings, which analyzed patients hospitalized during Hong Kong’s continuing Omicron wave, have implications for Covid strategies in China. Chinese official data showed that the vaccine coverage of people who had received at least two shots was 88 percent, and that 659 million people had received a booster shot. According to the officials present, however, there is still room for further improvement in the vaccination rate of the elderly in some areas, as about half of the elderly aged 80 and above haven’t been vaccinated at all.
In October 2021, the World Health Organization recommended a third dose of CoronaVac to people aged 60 who had received the Sinovac shot. This study support three doses of CoronaVac can benefit over two in preventing severe illness or death 60 years old or older.
According to Enrique Gonzalez, chairman of the pharmaceutical consortium IP Biotech Group, which distributes Sinovac in the Philippines, the HK study could help address the current vaccine hesitancy of the Filipino elderly.
“The data from real-world study in Hong Kong supports previous studies from Chile, China, Indonesia, and Turkey that Sinovac is a safe (and gentle) vaccine yet equally or more effective than other vaccine platforms. The continued validation of the safety and efficacy profile of Coronavac should further boost vaccine acceptance across all approved age groups. It is indeed a vaccine that can keep the entire family safe from Covid-19,” Gonzalez said.
According to the Department of Health, only 62.82 percent have been fully vaccinated as of this year, making them susceptible to the severe onset of Covid-19 and even death.
The Philippine vaccination drive, which has made booster shots available to senior citizens since November 2021, has been recording low turnouts from the elderly age group. According to the Department of Health, only 62.82 percent have been fully vaccinated as of this year, making them susceptible to the severe onset of Covid-19 and even death.
The DOH has continued its campaign to protect the country’s senior citizenry despite or because of the latter’s low Covid vaccine update. It is waiting for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue an Emergency Use Agreement (EUA) for a possible fourth dose of vaccines for them as well as those with compromised immune systems.
Earlier, the IP Biotech Group received FDA approval for the Emergency Use Authority of Sinovac for Covid vaccination of children, particularly those six years old and above.
In granting the EUA, the FDA said that Sinovac “may be effective to prevent, diagnose, or treat Covid-19” in minors, and thus can be used for the government’s pediatric vaccination program that aims to achieve 39 million Covid-vaccinated kids and thus bring about herd immunity.
The FDA also factored in the similar authorization of the Sinovac vaccine by their counterpart national regulatory authorities in countries like Brazil, China, and Indonesia.