By Nevanji Munyaradzi Chiondegwa
Zimbabwe’s two vaccines of choice, Sinopharm and Sinovac have been endorsed by the World Health Organisation.
WHO said the date they have at hand indicates levels of efficacy which are compatible with World Health Organisation requirements.
The WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) hopes to issue recommendations on the two Chinese vaccines by the end of April. Alejandro Cravioto, the SAGE Chairperson told a Geneva news briefing late March.
“The information that the companies shared publicly at the (SAGE) meeting last week clearly indicates that they have levels of efficacy that would be compatible with the requirements that WHO has asked for this vaccine. That means about 50 percent (efficacy) and preferably close to or above 70 percent and of course, they have all the safety data to show that this vaccine would cause no harm in humans when used.”
This comes as under-30s in the United Kingdom are to be offered an alternative vaccine to AstraZeneca jab due to eveidence linking it ti rare blood clots which has so far killed 19 people.
It is interesting that while Zimbabwe was one of the first countries in Africa to rollout Covid-19 vaccination, there was a flury of accusations from from opposition political activists of wanting to experimemt with people’s lives via the Chinese vaccines. They preference was the UK made AstraZeneca.
President Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa’s Governement however stuck Sinopharm and Sinovac which have shown an efficacy rate of 79.34 percent and 83.5 percemt respectively.
The two Chinese vaccines are both made from the deactivated Corona Virus which is a traditional method of vaccine production.
WHO has said that Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines which have seen strong demand from many developing countries which have limited access to shots made by rival Western drugmakers could receive WHO emergency listing “quite soon”.
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