Indonesia green-lights emergency use of Chinese vaccine
What's the story
Indonesia's Food and Drug Authority on Monday green-lighted emergency use of the COVID-19 vaccine, called CoronaVac, produced by China-based Sinovac Biotech Ltd. Vaccination of high-risk groups is expected to start later this week. Conditional vaccination of healthcare workers and other civil servants is expected to begin this week. Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he would be the first person to receive the vaccine.
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CoronaVac met the requirements for the permit: Indonesian official
Penny Lukito, the chief of Indonesia Food and Drug Monitoring Agency said, "Based on the data and considering the guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO), CoronaVac has met the requirements to get the permit to use the vaccine."
Clinical trial
Indonesia conducted its own Phase-III clinical trial of the vaccine
The vaccine was cleared for emergency use after Indonesian authorities reviewed clinical trial data from Brazil, Turkey, and Indonesia, which are all taking part in Phase III clinical trials of the vaccine. Indonesia conducted its own Phase III clinical trials of the vaccine with 1,620 volunteers. Results announced at Monday's news conference said the efficacy rate was 65.3 percent.
Information
78% efficacy in mild cases, 100% in severe, moderate: Brazil
Brazil's Instituto Butantan had said last week that the vaccine was 78 percent effective in mild cases and 100 percent effective against severe and moderate infections based on 220 cases from 13,000 volunteers. In December, Turkish authorities had announced an efficacy rate of 91.25 percent.
Data
Some experts express doubt, ask for more data
However, some experts have said they would prefer more data from clinical trials. Griffith University epidemiologist Dr. Dicky Budiman said, "Many people have questioned and expressed doubt about the vaccine, as the data Indonesia used for emergency authorization is only preliminary." "Research into the vaccine is not completed yet and will still take some time," he added.
Countries
Several countries signed agreements to secure doses of CoronaVac
Meanwhile, Chinese health officials have said that some nine million doses of CoronaVac have been administered in China. Bolivia is yet to start vaccinations with the CoronaVac vaccine. Several other countries that were not involved in clinical trials have signed agreements or are in negotiations to secure doses from Sinovac Biotech Ltd., including the Philippines, Singapore, Ukraine, Bolivia, and others.