As the race to develop a Sars-CoV-2 vaccine continues, China appears not to have given up its will to impose. The country would have taken a shortcut, and this at the risk of part of its population. Indeed, companies have vaccinated as many as 100,000 people in the past two months.
Not long ago, we were talking about encouraging preliminary results for Sputnik V, the Russian vaccine against the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus. A study concluded that this vaccine did trigger an immune response, while avoiding causing adverse effects serious. While no decision has yet been made – including by the UN – regarding the Russian vaccine, China has not given up on the race.
As the media Vox explains in a September 11, 2020 article, China said it had started vaccinations. Specifically, this statement is that of the Chinese company Sinopharm. She claimed to have vaccinated more than a hundred thousand people . However, the fact is that the clinical trials were not over.
In reality, we are talking about three vaccines in phase III clinical trials. Nevertheless, these were approved by the Beijing government as part of an emergency vaccination campaign in July 2020. In addition, it should be noted that two of these vaccines are developed by the China National Biotec Group Co. , a subsidiary of Sinopharm. The third vaccine is under the responsibility of the Chinese company Sinovac. The latter also claimed to have vaccinated 90% of its employees and their families, about 3,000 people in total.
These vaccinations concern about 100,000 Chinese citizens seem to have been made discreetly. Indeed, the famous emergency program was made public in China only at the end of August, almost two months after its launch. According to the sources, the injections were aimed at people at risk . Among the elected officials, we find diplomats, medical personnel, but also customs personnel and several companies, particularly in the service industry.
The fact is that these vaccinations are not without risk, in the absence of successful clinical trials. However, there may be a question of serious consequences . Remember that phase III has a very important challenge, namely to identify any side effects potentially not visible during the first two phases. This final phase also aims to establish the benefits and risks of the vaccine , as well as to define the precautions for use.
