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Chinese vaccines: Less effective antibodies in Delta variant

Antibodies triggered by two COVID-19 vaccines developed in China are less effective against the Delta variant compared with other strains, but the shots still offer protection, a Chinese disease control researcher has told state media, reports Reuters.

The Delta variant is becoming the globally dominant variant of the disease with its increased transmissibility, the World Health Organization's chief scientist warned last week.

In an interview on China Central Television, Feng Zijian, researcher and former deputy director at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, did not provide further details.

Without naming the two vaccines, Feng said they fell into the category of inactivated vaccines, which contain “killed” coronavirus that cannot replicate in human cells.

Five out of the seven domestically-developed vaccines in China's mass inoculation scheme are inactivated vaccines. These include shots from Sinovac Biotech (SVA.O) and Sinopharm, used in countries such as Brazil, Bahrain and Chile.

The Delta variant has caused infections in three cities in southern Guangdong province, where 170 locally confirmed patients were reported between 21 May and 21 June, officials said. It is unclear how many of them contracted the Delta variant. About 85% of the Guangdong cases in the latest outbreak were found in the provincial capital, Guangzhou.

‘In the Guangdong outbreak … none of those vaccinated infections became severe cases, and none of the severe cases was vaccinated,” Feng said.

 

Full report from Reuters (Open access)

 

See also in the MedicalBrief archives:

 

Efficacy of Chinese vaccines questioned after outbreaks

Top official admits low efficacy of China's vaccines — then retracts

Despite safety fears, China inoculates with experimental vaccines

China offers 5m doses of Sinovac Biotech vaccine to SA

China defends Sinovac vaccine following poor results in Brazil

 

 

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