China approves 2nd COVID-19 vaccine for general public use

The Chinese government has authorized the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech for general public use, the company said Saturday. Sinovac's jab, which requires a two-dose regimen, will be the second coronavirus vaccine approved in China, though it appears the findings merit some skepticism.

The green light is based on results from two months' worth of late-stage trials in Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, and Chile, and Sinovac said final analysis data is not yet available and more confirmation on safety results is needed. The trial results, which were light on details, varied fairly significant depending on the country — the vaccine was found to be just over 50 percent effective in Brazil, 91 percent in Turkey (that figure is based on a preliminary analysis of just 29 cases), and 65 percent in Indonesia.

However, in Brazil, which is experiencing a more intense epidemic at the moement, the vaccine appeared more effective at preventing COVID-19 infections that required medical attention, registering a nearly-84 percent rate in that category, and it was also 100 percent effective against cases requiring hospitalization. Read more at The South China Morning Post.

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