The World Health Organization listed the Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use earlier in May.
More than 90 countries and territories across the globe have approved the Sinopharm vaccines for emergency use. As nations continue to utilize these jabs for their respective populations, experts carry on studies to ensure the quality and safety of the vaccines.
Recently, China National Biotec Group (CNBG) released official statements regarding their vaccines. This comes as concerns toward the jabs remain apparent due to the reported risks and side effects.
The premise centers on the risks of blood clots with low platelets. Based on the findings, the vaccine maker asserted that their vaccines do not increase the risks of these conditions, according to Global Times.
There were “no unfavorable clinical manifestations”
CNBG noted that there is no increased risk of thrombosis or thrombocytopenia in recipients of the Sinopharm vaccine. None of them had the conditions “over a minimum follow-up period of eight weeks.”
The publication explained that the study involved 406 healthcare workers who have taken two doses of the vaccine in question, 21 days apart. They are from Shanghai Ruijin Hospital, and became the central figures after their recruitment from January 14 to March 10, 2021.
Apart from the initial findings, researchers also found that there were no changes in the autoantibody profile. The same is also true for the clinical manifestations as they are not “unfavorable.”
Background of the study
Chinese researchers and experts reportedly conducted the study to “explore” whether the Sinopharm vaccines could lead to blood clots and low platelet counts after administration. This follows the reports of “rare but severe side effects” events after an adenovirus-vectored COVID-19 vaccination.
As noted, some recipients of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines have reportedly suffered from thrombosis or thrombocytopenia. While the reports reached across the globe, the World Health Organization only considered it “plausible” but “not confirmed.”
About the Sinopharm vaccines
The vaccine from CNBG is similar to Sinovac’s CoronaVac. It is an inactivated vaccine, which uses “killed” coronavirus to trigger a response from the immune system. BBC emphasized that it “can’t transmit COVID-19” because the virus is killed before the injection.
As for its effectiveness, the WHO previously estimated a 79-percent vaccine efficacy for symptomatic and hospitalization. This is reportedly for all age groups, combined.
The vaccine maker stated, however, that Sinopharm vaccines have an 84 percent death-protection efficacy among 60 and above. This is based on real-world data from Argentina. Moreover, the seroconversion rate was 95.81 percent four weeks after vaccination, with citations to a Science Bulletin-published study from July 27.
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