BEIJING: The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday announced that the country has so far administered more than 24 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, and the reported rate of severe adverse effects rate is no higher than flu shots.
As China is facing a complicated epidemic control situation, registering 2,016 domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases in January – the highest since March 2020 – observers noted that pushing forward steadily with the vaccination program can help reduce epidemic risks. Some Chinese authorities have said China was planning to vaccinate 50 million people before the Chinese New Year to curb the spread of the virus.
Experts noted the low adverse effect rate proved the safety of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines and should encourage more people to receive the injection. China’s vaccination drive is going smoothly and orderly, and the target for immunity can be met.
China’s top respiratory disease expert Zhong Nanshan on Sunday noted that the safety of inactivated vaccines, which are being administered in China, is guaranteed. The severe adverse effect rate is 1 per million while that for the flu shot is 3 per million.
Antibodies can be maintained for more than six months and many who received the shots eight months ago still have 90-percent antibody levels, Zhong said at a Sunday press conference.
Zhong also explained that multiple efficacy rates for Chinese vaccines reflect the results of phase III clinical trials in different countries, which have different standards and experimental methods. If the trial is done on medical personnel, the infection rate will be higher than on ordinary people, Zhong said.
– The Daily Mail-Global Times News exchange item
