Sinovac Biotech’s CoronaVac vaccine is the second Chinese vaccine to receive World Health Organization emergency approval. This is good news for the Dominican Republic where 5,268,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines or 93% of all vaccine batches are from this Chinese pharmaceutical company.
WHO had approved the Sinopharm on 7 May 2021. China donated a batch of 50,000 Sinopharm vaccines that were used primarily for the police and the military.
Other vaccines that have received WHO clearance are: Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca/University of Oxford, in partnership with vaccine-makers in India and South Korea.
To be approved for emergency clearance, the doses need to meet safety and manufacturing standards and be at least 50% percent effective at preventing Covid-19. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said the Sinovac vaccine is safe and effective, and its easy storage requirements are a plus for mass vaccination campaigns.
The CoronaVac efficacy has varied widely in different trials. The WHO’s separate Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) showed the vaccine efficacy in phase III trials ranged from 51% to 84%. The WHO said the shot prevented severe COVID-19 and hospitalization in 100% of the tested population.
1 June 2021