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While Brazil debates the start of immunization against covid-19 with the adoption or not of CoronaVac, another “Chinese vaccine” that is little discussed here has already been approved in three countries. BBIBP-CorV is one of two immunizers developed by the Chinese state company Sinopharm.
It is made with inactivated virus technology, the same one adopted by CoronaVac, which is produced by a private pharmaceutical company, Sinovac Biotech, in partnership with the Butantan Institute, linked to the São Paulo government.
Since the Chinese summer between June and August, the Sinopharm product has started to be applied urgently by health professionals, government officials and other special groups in China. According to Sinopharm, around 1 million Chinese had been vaccinated in November.
In the United Arab Emirates, a country participating in phase 3 clinical trials, this special group vaccination began in September. On the 9th, the country’s Ministry of Prevention and Health announced the official registration of the vaccine for emergency use by the entire population.
The official statement also brought the first preview of phase 3, which noted an 86% efficacy of the immunizer in preventing covid-19 infection. According to the government of the Arab country, the analysis also showed that the vaccine produces neutralizing antibodies in 99% of those vaccinated and 100% effective in preventing moderate and severe cases of the disease.
However, the statement did not provide further details of the partial results, which are not yet public and have not been published in a scientific journal.
Four days after the announcement by the United Arab Emirates, neighboring Bahrain also authorized the use of the vaccine. Any citizen over 18 can take the vaccine for free.
The King of Bahrain himself, Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, took the Sinopharm vaccine in phase 3 trials and, in this period, had already released the vaccine to front-line professionals in the fight against the disease.
Other Arab countries have already shown interest in the product, but vaccination has not yet started there. Egypt received, on the 10th, the first shipment of the immunizer and the authorities are expected to present the immunization plan in the coming days. Morocco has already ordered the product and intends to vaccinate 80% of the adults in the population for 12 weeks.
Initiation of vaccination with CoronaVac
The accelerated pace of Sinopharm’s product increases pressure for the vaccine that competes with Sinovac and the Butantan Institute, which is linked to the São Paulo government. João Doria’s team (PSDB) has already postponed the announcement of CoronaVac’s effectiveness. Butantan’s new forecast is that the results of phase 3 will be released this week.
The start of vaccination, previously scheduled for December, was scheduled for January 25 in the state of São Paulo. However, with the inclusion of CoronaVac in the PNI (National Immunization Plan) of the Ministry of Health, that date became uncertain.
At least the result of the 86% effectiveness of the “other Chinese vaccine” may be good news for the immunizer that is manufactured in São Paulo.
“If in fact it is 86% effective, it is encouraging for the protection profile that CoronaVac can offer, since they are made along the same lines”, assesses Daniel Mansur, researcher at the UFSC (Federal University of Santa Catarina) and scientific consultant. of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases.
In addition to Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey await the results of the third phase of CoronaVac tests to begin mass vaccination.
TO Twitter, the Butantan Instinct claimed that in April it activated the Sinopharm group for information on immunizing agents in development and showed interest in a partnership. But there was no reply.
Sinopharm also produces a second vaccine with inactivated virus technology. It also has limited emergency use in China and the United Arab Emirates. On the 11th, Peru temporarily paused local clinical trials after an adverse event in a volunteer. Six days later, the tests were resumed.
In Brazil, four vaccines are being tested, including CoronaVac. At the moment, none are registered and authorized to use Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency).
