Budapest: A new study shows that a sinoform The vaccine offers poor protection from COVID-19 among the elderly, raising questions for dozens of countries that have given the Chinese company’s shots to their most vulnerable populations.
A survey of blood samples taken from 450 people in Hungary at least two weeks after their second Sinoform dose found that 90% of those under the age of 50 developed protective antibodies. But the percentage declined with age, and 50% of those over 80 had none.
The study, by two Hungarian researchers, was posted online this week but has not yet been reviewed by other scientists. Three outside experts said they had no problem with the methodology of studying the vaccine developed by Sinopharm’s Beijing Institute of Biological Products.
“It is very, very worrying that these people, who Those at high risk, have a poor antibody response,” said virologist Jin Dong-yan of the University of Hong Kong, who was not affiliated with the study.
Antibody levels are not a direct measure of how protected a person is from COVID-19, but there is increasing evidence that they are a good proxy. One expert cautioned that the choice of test kit could limit the accuracy of the measurements.
Still, the study’s findings have value and are the first public, scientific effort to analyze the effect of the SinoPharma vaccine in the elderly, said Wang Chenguang, a former professor at Peking Union Medical College and an immunology expert.
China’s National Health Commission declined to comment on the study, saying it would only respond to studies conducted by governments or major research institutions.
This is not the first time that questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the vaccine, which was administered in . was flagged off by World Health Organization in May and is being used in more than 50 countries, many of which confiscated it when other vaccines were hard to come by.
A WHO spokesman said on Wednesday that its experts are “aware of the study and continue to look at all available evidence.” Agency advisers had raised questions months ago whether it provided protection to people 60 and over, but when it was OK’d the WHO expert said there was no reason to think it would work differently in the elderly. Will do
The vaccine is one of two identical shots developed by Sinopharm. Research by the state-owned Chinese company showed that nearly all participants in the end-stage clinical trials were under 60 and its own researchers said there was insufficient evidence to say whether Vaccines work in the elderly. Overall, the Beijing Institute’s vaccine was found to be 78% effective.
In Hungary, concerns about the shots have prompted many to take private antibody tests. Budapest’s capital eventually offered free tests to elderly residents as a bid to pressure the government to conduct its own comprehensive survey and provide booster shots to those who need them.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban was finally acquitted last week in the face of mounting public anger, after being initially turned down for the government’s response to efficacy concerns, including antibody study authors Balazs Sarkadi and Tamas Ferenci. He announced that the government would provide an alternative third shot to its citizens.
However, his office said that all vaccines authorized by Hungary are effective.
Both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain announced in May that they would also offer a third dose of Sinoform amid concerns about an inadequate antibody response. Bahrain recommends that people over 50 and some other vulnerable people receive the Pfizer-BioEntech vaccine as their booster, even if they initially received Sinoform.
Sinopharm subsidiary CNBG, which oversees the Beijing institute, said the third dose was not part of the company’s clinical guidance.
It is not clear how many doses of the Beijing Institute Sinopharm Vaccine have been exported. Overall, China exported 500 million vaccine doses in the first half of the year, and the company is a privately owned company as well as one of the country’s two major COVID vaccine manufacturers. sinovac.
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization recently ordered 550 million doses from both companies for the United Nations-backed COVAX program.
Both sinoform vaccines are also in widespread use in China, including in the elderly. The country’s National Health Commission said in April that the shots offer some protection, even though it acknowledged that early stages of clinical trials of Sinopharm’s vaccines and two others found fewer antibodies in people 60 and over. went.
In Budapest, a beta angler became concerned for her 76-year-old mother, after hearing that those who had been vaccinated with Sinopharm showed no antibodies.
England started a Facebook group to pressure the government to address the issue. He is now cautiously optimistic that Hungary will offer a third dose.
“We are very glad that we achieved our goal and we were heard,” she said. “Although we are a little afraid that we will get what we have got before.”
A survey of blood samples taken from 450 people in Hungary at least two weeks after their second Sinoform dose found that 90% of those under the age of 50 developed protective antibodies. But the percentage declined with age, and 50% of those over 80 had none.
The study, by two Hungarian researchers, was posted online this week but has not yet been reviewed by other scientists. Three outside experts said they had no problem with the methodology of studying the vaccine developed by Sinopharm’s Beijing Institute of Biological Products.
“It is very, very worrying that these people, who Those at high risk, have a poor antibody response,” said virologist Jin Dong-yan of the University of Hong Kong, who was not affiliated with the study.
Antibody levels are not a direct measure of how protected a person is from COVID-19, but there is increasing evidence that they are a good proxy. One expert cautioned that the choice of test kit could limit the accuracy of the measurements.
Still, the study’s findings have value and are the first public, scientific effort to analyze the effect of the SinoPharma vaccine in the elderly, said Wang Chenguang, a former professor at Peking Union Medical College and an immunology expert.
China’s National Health Commission declined to comment on the study, saying it would only respond to studies conducted by governments or major research institutions.
This is not the first time that questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the vaccine, which was administered in . was flagged off by World Health Organization in May and is being used in more than 50 countries, many of which confiscated it when other vaccines were hard to come by.
A WHO spokesman said on Wednesday that its experts are “aware of the study and continue to look at all available evidence.” Agency advisers had raised questions months ago whether it provided protection to people 60 and over, but when it was OK’d the WHO expert said there was no reason to think it would work differently in the elderly. Will do
The vaccine is one of two identical shots developed by Sinopharm. Research by the state-owned Chinese company showed that nearly all participants in the end-stage clinical trials were under 60 and its own researchers said there was insufficient evidence to say whether Vaccines work in the elderly. Overall, the Beijing Institute’s vaccine was found to be 78% effective.
In Hungary, concerns about the shots have prompted many to take private antibody tests. Budapest’s capital eventually offered free tests to elderly residents as a bid to pressure the government to conduct its own comprehensive survey and provide booster shots to those who need them.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban was finally acquitted last week in the face of mounting public anger, after being initially turned down for the government’s response to efficacy concerns, including antibody study authors Balazs Sarkadi and Tamas Ferenci. He announced that the government would provide an alternative third shot to its citizens.
However, his office said that all vaccines authorized by Hungary are effective.
Both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain announced in May that they would also offer a third dose of Sinoform amid concerns about an inadequate antibody response. Bahrain recommends that people over 50 and some other vulnerable people receive the Pfizer-BioEntech vaccine as their booster, even if they initially received Sinoform.
Sinopharm subsidiary CNBG, which oversees the Beijing institute, said the third dose was not part of the company’s clinical guidance.
It is not clear how many doses of the Beijing Institute Sinopharm Vaccine have been exported. Overall, China exported 500 million vaccine doses in the first half of the year, and the company is a privately owned company as well as one of the country’s two major COVID vaccine manufacturers. sinovac.
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization recently ordered 550 million doses from both companies for the United Nations-backed COVAX program.
Both sinoform vaccines are also in widespread use in China, including in the elderly. The country’s National Health Commission said in April that the shots offer some protection, even though it acknowledged that early stages of clinical trials of Sinopharm’s vaccines and two others found fewer antibodies in people 60 and over. went.
In Budapest, a beta angler became concerned for her 76-year-old mother, after hearing that those who had been vaccinated with Sinopharm showed no antibodies.
England started a Facebook group to pressure the government to address the issue. He is now cautiously optimistic that Hungary will offer a third dose.
“We are very glad that we achieved our goal and we were heard,” she said. “Although we are a little afraid that we will get what we have got before.”
.