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The 50 percent efficacy rate of the vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is within “acceptable” limits, a health expert said Thursday.
Dr. Jaime Montoya, executive director of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development in the Department of Science and Technology, said the vaccine, which was found to be 50 percent effective in a late-stage trial conducted in Brazil, is well within the range. world. Requirement of the sanitary organization.
The US Food and Drug Administration, in a guidance document, said a new Covid-19 vaccine could be approved if it “prevents the disease or lessens its severity in at least 50 percent of vaccinated people.”
Montoya said the efficacy of a vaccine “can go up or down … as more and more people use it when it is actually implemented.”
When asked if it was better to buy vaccines with a higher efficacy rate, Montoya said: “If we are given a choice and we have to prioritize, of course, definitely, the vaccine efficacy that is higher would be the preferred vaccine. “.
Another Chinese-made vaccine, Sinopharm, was 86 percent effective in late-stage trials in the United Arab Emirates, the country’s health ministry recently announced.
The American-made Moderna is 94 percent effective, and Pfizer reported 95 percent efficacy at the second dose.
Montoya said the government should wait for the full data before drawing a conclusion.
“We have to see where they are going to be useful, in which group, before we can make a decision,” he said. “Maybe it will be more effective in a particular group of people, perhaps health workers, in older people or with coexisting morbidity, we have to look at them.”
Several drug manufacturers want to supply the Philippines with their vaccine, either through clinical trials or by acquiring an emergency use authorization.
The government wants frontline doctors to be among the first to be immunized, along with other vulnerable sectors.
Assistant House Minority Leader Francia Castro wants priority also given to what he calls “the vanguard in education.”
“With Covid-19 vaccines beginning to be available, this administration must ensure that those who need them can obtain them. The government should be able to secure enough vaccines to be able to vaccinate all those who need it, including leaders in education, ”said the ACT Teachers congressman.
Castro highlighted the role of teachers in providing education to students amid the pandemic and imposed closures.
“The Duterte administration should also never forget the important role of teachers and educational personnel in society (The Administration of [President Rodrigo] Duterte must not forget the important role of teachers and education workers in society, ”he said.
Castro also asked the administration to “put all its resources and efforts into the acquisition of vaccines and implement adequate medical solutions to finally be able to solve the health crisis in the country.”
WITH DIVINA NOVA JOY DELA CRUZ
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