Unbelievable Vaccines? ... Comparing Three Chinese-Made Types

Sinopharm, Sinovac, and CanSino COVID-19 Vaccine Overview

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] As the global supply crisis of COVID-19 vaccines unfolds, Chinese-made vaccines are also gaining attention. Vaccines developed in China were once overlooked, but now even the stringent European Union (EU) is showing interest.

We compared the details of Sinopharm, Sinovac, and CanSino vaccines, which have supply contracts with various governments.

Sinopharm Seems to Have the Highest Efficacy... Inconsistent Results Are a Concern

The vaccine developed by the Chinese state-owned company Sinopharm has the highest efficacy at 78%. CanSino's vaccine showed 65.7%, and Sinovac's vaccine showed 50.4% efficacy.

These figures exceed the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended efficacy of 50%, but are somewhat lower compared to Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which reach about 95%.

A bigger issue is that these results vary significantly depending on the country where the trials were conducted. Sinopharm showed an average efficacy of 86% in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Sinovac showed a 91% efficacy rate in Turkey but only 65.3% in Indonesia.

CanSino's vaccine is currently undergoing clinical trials in Pakistan, Mexico, Russia, Argentina, and Chile. It is noteworthy whether the results from these countries will differ from the recently announced 65.7% efficacy in Pakistan.

Ease of Storage Is a Major Advantage... CanSino Requires Only One Dose

The number of doses for Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines is two. Sinopharm's vaccine is administered again three weeks after the first dose, while Sinovac's vaccine is given at two-week intervals. CanSino's vaccine, like the one developed by Janssen, a subsidiary of multinational pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, requires only a single dose.

All three vaccines can be stored at refrigerator temperatures (2?8 degrees Celsius), similar to the AstraZeneca vaccine. Considering that Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require storage in special freezers at minus 70 degrees or at minus 20 degrees respectively, these vaccines are relatively easier to store and distribute.

CanSino's vaccine uses a viral vector method, whereas Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines use an inactivated virus method. The viral vector method involves modifying a virus for use, which is a conventional approach. The inactivated method involves killing the virus and injecting it as an antigen to induce an immune response, which is a traditional method.

In China, Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical and Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products are also developing COVID-19 vaccines. According to local media, Anhui Zhifei is currently in phase 3 clinical trials and producing the product. Chongqing Zhifei is conducting phase 3 trials involving 29,000 people worldwide.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.