"When Antibody Deficient, Three Doses Needed: UAE Considers Additional Sinopharm Vaccine Booster"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is considering administering a third dose of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to some individuals after cases emerged where sufficient antibodies did not develop even after the second dose.

On the 21st (local time), Walid Zaher, chief researcher at G42 Healthcare, which supplies the Sinopharm vaccine to the UAE, stated this on a local radio broadcast.

He said that people with low antibody levels after the second dose may receive an additional vaccination. However, Zaher emphasized that "only a very small number of people require a third dose."

Earlier, on the 10th, Farida Al Hosani, the health spokesperson in the UAE, first mentioned the need for a third dose of the Sinopharm vaccine.

The Wall Street Journal reported on this, stating, "Doctors have noted cases where there were almost no antibodies or none generated after the second dose of the Sinopharm vaccine," adding that "this may raise doubts about the immune efficacy of the Sinopharm vaccine."

Sinopharm has announced that the preventive efficacy of its vaccine against COVID-19 is 79.34%, which is about 15 percentage points lower than that of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines.

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