‘Although Turkish researchers found that the Sinovac vaccine was 91.25 percent effective in preventing the onset of the coronavirus, trials in the United Arab Emirates found it to be somewhat lesser, at 86 percent effective, while Indonesian trials found the drug was only 61 percent effective. The Turkish trials were conducted on only 29 subjects. Even worse news emerged from Brazil, where the Chinese vaccine was found to be effective in only 50.4 percent of cases in clinical trials numbering13,000 participants. Too many across Asia and elsewhere believe there wasn’t sufficient scientific rigor, the trials were too short and too rushed, and that, in the words of one observer who declined to be named, “poor Asians and others are being given a shoddy vaccine because Beijing wants to score political points with its crappy jab.”
‘Whether that is true or not, those countries going ahead with the Chinese vaccine, however, seem to be proceeding on the basis that, while it may only be 50 percent effective, it’s better than zero percent without a vaccine. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been found to be more than 90 percent effective, but it’s a question of availability and price. Although legions of common citizens from the Philippines to Indonesia to Turkey to Brazil are shying away from China’s vaccine, governments are sticking with it. Singapore has announced it will continue with the Chinese products, as will Thailand although authorities have also bought 26 million doses of the UK-based AstraZenica vaccine – which won’t arrive until June. It will still need to be approved by the Thai FDA.’
Read here (Asia Sentinel, Jan 17, 2021)
