Don’t worry about Sinovac vaccine, say health experts

[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: Those who get the Sinovac vaccine need not worry about its efficacy against new Covid-19 variants or Putrajaya’s decision to halt the usage of the China-made drug, three health experts said.

However, they said the government’s conflicting statements over Sinovac could impact the national vaccination drive.

The health experts arer Sunway University president Dr Sibrandes Poppema, consultant paediatrician and paediatric cardiologist Dr Zulkifli Ismail and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s health economy and public health specialist, deputy dean Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh.

Poppema, a specialist in immunopathology, said all vaccines, including Sinovac, provide sufficient protection against serious illness or death from Covid-19.

He said all vaccines offer slightly lower protection against the Delta variant, “but they also prevent serious illness caused by this variant”.


Poppema said concerns over Sinovac’s efficacy were also exacerbated by news reports of Covid-19 infections and deaths, including 350 Indonesian health workers contracting the virus.

This, he said, was a “small minority” when compared to the one million healthcare workers vaccinated with Sinovac.

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