Turkey will receive the first batch of jab, which is 91.25 percent effective in trials
Nurse Arzu Yildirim (center) is administering a dose of China’s Sinovac coronavirus vaccines on Monday during phase III clinical trials at Acibadem Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. EMRAH GUREL / AP
ANKARA – Turkey will receive its first shipment of Sinovac coronavirus vaccines from China in a few days, as preliminary national tests showed it was 91% effective, becoming the last country to give the welcome to Chinese scientific medical advances.
“We are confident that the vaccine is effective and safe for Turks,” Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said at a news conference on Thursday.
The initial protection rate of the vaccine is 91.25% and no significant side effects were observed during its trial, Koca said.
The first shipment of 3 million doses of the Chinese vaccine was expected to arrive in Turkey on Monday after the Turkish government signed an agreement to buy up to 50 million doses. All of these doses will arrive in the country in late February.
The main group to be vaccinated will be health workers and the blows could be applied to about 1.5 million or even 2 million people daily, Koca said, adding that it will be one of the pioneers in getting the Chinese vaccine. .
In Asia, Bahrain said on December 13 that it had approved a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) and launched the online vaccine registration for citizens and residents.
A statement from the National Health Regulatory Authority did not specify which two-way vaccine Sinopharm was developing had been approved, but cited data from phase III clinical trials showing an efficacy rate of 86%. in which Bahrain had participated.
The Bahrain Ministry of Health said in a statement and on its Instagram account that citizens and residents over the age of 18 could register online to receive the vaccine for free.
The data mentioned were the same as those announced earlier this month by the United Arab Emirates based on a provisional analysis of final-stage clinical trials for an inactivated vaccine developed by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, a unit of Sinopharm’s China National Biotec Group, or CNBG.
Malaysia said the government is now in final negotiations with Chinese manufacturers Sinovac and CanSino to secure doses of the vaccine to cover more of its population.
“A historic day”
In Latin America, the Butantan Institute in Brazil announced on Wednesday that the CoronaVac vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac had achieved levels of efficacy against the coronavirus required by the World Health Organization in trials with 13,000 Brazilian volunteers.
The data corroborates that the vaccine is “the safest on the market” and has achieved the superiority in effectiveness required by the WHO and Brazil’s Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa), said Dimas Covas, director of the institute.
“We have reached the level of efficacy that allows us to apply for registration for emergency use of the vaccine both here and in China,” Covas said.
“It’s a historic day for Brazilian science because of the hope it brings to Brazilians.”
The Brazilian Ministry of Health also expects to have at least 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines available during the first half of 2021, with one-third or more of Sinovac.
Arnaldo Medeiros, a Ministry of Health official, said on Tuesday that an initial agreement to acquire 46 million doses of the vaccine developed by Sinovac could soon be expanded to 100 million doses.
In Mexico, a coronavirus vaccine developed by China’s CanSino Biologics will be presented on Tuesday for review by Mexican health regulator Cofepris for implementation, said Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard.
In Africa, Egypt received the first batch of Chinese coronavirus vaccine on December 11 to help fight the COVID-19 epidemic.
Priority in the distribution of the vaccine would be given to medical staff in isolation hospitals, people with chronic diseases such as cancer and kidney failure, and the elderly, free of charge, said Hala Zayed, Egypt’s health minister. .
“It is a historic day to receive the first air shipments of the Chinese coronavirus vaccine,” Zayed said at a press conference held at Cairo International Airport.
Xinhua: agencies
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