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Sinovac vaccine best for general public with moderate-risk exposure to COVID-19 - expert

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/reuters/02/24/20210224-sinovac-covax-rtr.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>Vials of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine are pictured at Bangkok&#x27;s Suvarnabhumi International Airport before the arrival of a shipment of 200,000 doses from China, in Bangkok, Thailand, Feb. 24, 2021. <em>Athit Perawongmetha, Reuters</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - Sinovac vaccine works best for the general public with moderate-risk exposure to COVID-19, a health expert said Wednesday, after the Philippine government approved the Chinese-made jabs for emergency use.</p><p>&quot;The best use of Sinovac for now is general public with moderate risk exposure [and] not high [-risk] exposure like with the frontline COVID workers because we know that it will work at 91 percent efficacy,&quot; Dr. Edsel Salvaña, member of the technical advisory group that advises the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), told ANC.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/22/21/philippines-grants-eua-to-covid-19-vaccine-of-chinas-sinovac">Philippines grants EUA to COVID-19 vaccine of China&#x27;s Sinovac</a></li></ul><p>After getting emergency clearance, state medical regulator does not recommend giving the vaccine to health-care workers exposed to the disease due to lower efficacy rate. </p><p>It is the third vaccine to receive emergency use authorization in the Philippines after anti-coronavirus shots developed by <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/14/21/philippines-approves-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-for-emergency-use">US drug maker Pfizer and its partner BioNTech</a>, and <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/28/21/ph-approves-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-for-emergency-use">British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca and Oxford University</a>.</p><p>Sinovac&#x27;s vaccine, known as CoronaVac, was found to be 50.4 effective against COVID-19 in late-stage trial in Brazil, Salvaña said.</p><p>In trials conducted in Turkey and Indonesia, the vaccine registered an efficacy rate of 91 percent and 65 percent, respectively, he added.</p><p>Salvaña, also the director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of the Philippines - National Institutes of Health, explained that the vaccine had varied efficacy readings due to several factors.</p><p>In the Brazil trial, he said the vaccine was given specifically to health-care workers with high-risk exposure of COVID-19. </p><p>Another factor is the shots were administered in a 2-week interval rather than 4 weeks apart used by other vaccine developers, he added.</p><p>In recommending EUA in the Philippines, Salvaña said the country&#x27;s health experts had the 3 trials to consider, saying the vaccine&#x27;s efficacy could still change on future analysis.</p><p>He also said the vaccine could still be used by healthcare workers but not those working in COVID-19 referral hospitals such as the Philippine General Hospital.</p><p>The Philippines is expected to receive some 600,000 doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine before the month ends.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1627478" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Sinovac vaccine works best for the general public with moderate-risk exposure to COVID-19, a health expert said Wednesday, after the Philippine government approved the Chinese-made jabs for emergency use.<br /> </p>

Sinovac vaccine works best for the general public with moderate-risk exposure to COVID-19, a health expert said Wednesday, after the Philippine government approved the Chinese-made jabs for emergency use.