We all have been affected by the current COVID-19 pandemic, the novel virus which began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The World Health Organization declared the virus a pandemic on March 11, 2020. COVID-19’s effect on the global community is dramatic, as it has negatively impacted people’s lives and wellbeing, livelihoods, economies, and behaviours. According to the World Health Organization database, as of January 13, 2021, more than 90 million people across the world had tested positive for COVID-19, and almost 2 million people with the virus have died.
With a pandemic happening around the globe, several pharmaceutical companies rushed to produce the vaccine that would save the world. Some of them, that are authorised and recommended for the prevention of COVID-19, are the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Moderna’s vaccine, and the AstraZeneca. So, what is China doing in this global race of COVID-19 vaccine production?
Sinovac, a Beijing-based biopharmaceutical company has developed the Chinese coronavirus vaccine, called CoronaVac. Researchers started the formation of the vaccine by getting coronavirus samples from patients in China, Italy, Spain, Britain, and Switzerland. Eventually, one sample from China acted as the basis for the CoronaVac vaccine. Compared to the Moderna and Pfizer, which take a portion of the genetic code of coronavirus that is injected into the body, the coronavirus particles in the CoronaVac are dead, and they are injected into the arm without triggering Covid-19.
The trials of Sinovac have yielded diverse outcomes over different nations. Interim data of the trial in Indonesia showed an efficacy of 65.3 per cent. Based on interim information from a late-stage trial in Turkey, researchers said that the Sinovac vaccine is 91.25 per cent effective. First trials of China’s Sinovac in Brazil showed that the vaccine had been found to be 78 per cent effective. However, following the most recent findings reported by researchers, Sinovac had a 50.4 per cent efficacy in Brazilian clinical trials. The Butantan Institute, which has been conducting the trials in Brazil, announced that the effectiveness of the vaccine varies depending on how severe the affirmed illness is.
The pandemic is affecting different people in different ways worldwide, thus a vaccination appears to be vital to finally return to normality. In any case, the fact that several governments commit to inoculating their people with the Sinovac vaccine has led to questions and doubts about the Chinese vaccines, which have revealed fewer details on safety and testing than western front-runners. With all vaccinations already underway worldwide, all that remains is to hold up and see how it all unfolds!
To keep up to date with the latest commercial news, click on commercial awareness to get your daily dose.
Donate & Support