Riyadh: Bahrain approved the registration of the Sinopharm Group Co Ltd. vaccine against the coronavirus, about a week after the United Arab Emirates registered the Chinese-made vaccine.
“Results from Phase III clinical trials showed an 86% efficacy rate, a 99% seroconversion rate of neutralizing antibody and 100% effectiveness in preventing moderate and severe cases of Covid-19,” the National Health Regulatory Authority said in a statement Sunday. Bahrain’s findings are based on data from more than 42,000 volunteers.
The Gulf nation had previously authorized the emergency use of the vaccine, which was provided to frontline workers in contact with coronavirus patients.
The vaccine has already been administered to hundreds of thousands of people under emergency authorization in China, but it’s yet to receive public use approval from any drug regulators.
In Latin America, Peru temporarily suspended trials of the vaccine after an unspecified “adverse event” was reported during a clinical trial. The health minister is investigating the event to determine if it’s related to the vaccine or something else.
China’s vaccine web
Countries like Indonesia and Pakistan have already signed deals with Sinopharm’s China National Biotec Group Co. and others are now likely to follow, given it may have an easier distribution process than other vaccines.
CNBG said it expects to produce one billion doses of the vaccine next year, Global Times reported.
The UAE registered the Sinopharm vaccine after finding it had a 86% efficacy rate, paving the way for a full public use and allowing for a re-opening of the country’s economy.
Egypt also plans to start the process of inoculation against Covid-19 after receiving the first shipments of Sinopharm vaccine.- Bloomberg
Also read: With 5% or less positivity rate, Mumbai could finally be surfacing from Covid nightmare