Read on Twitter
Short thread on the Chinese vaccine for COVID19. An irresponsible govt starts vaccinating it’s own people without adequate proof of either safety or efficacy, bypassing phase 3 trials. Then finds out it isn’t generating an adequate response. But the problems are much deeper.
The CanSino COVID vaccine uses the common cold vaccine as vector. But over half the people given the vaccine already had antibodies to common cold virus and hence it is virtually doomed to failure. A second dose won’t solve this. https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/coronavirus-vaccine-cansino-china-phase-2/581946/">https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/coro...
CanSino has decided to brazen it out by claiming that “we should not blindly follow experts” and that “It is unscientific to compare the antibody levels generated by different vaccine candidates, because varied testing methods could distort results”. https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/china-cansino-defends-coronavirus-vaccine-candidate-200909063936284.html">https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/...
They tried to cover it up by claiming it induced cellular immunity and not antibody response. However in their study published in Lancet, Chinese researchers had claimed 96% antibody response for the vaccine and said nothing about cellular immunity. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31605-6/fulltext">https://www.thelancet.com/journals/...
The company declared its phase 2 trials in July. So far it has met with very little success for finding partners for international phase 3 trials. Only Russia and Pakistan have agreed. Russia is already mass vaccinating its own people without proper phase 3 trials.
Russia has started some trials on undeclared number of volunteers for CanSino vaccine a few days back. Interestingly it has also put its own much publicised vaccine on the back burner.
Link in next tweet. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/first-russian-volunteers-inoculated-with-chinas-covid-19-vaccine/articleshow/78234563.cms">https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/res...
Link in next tweet. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/first-russian-volunteers-inoculated-with-chinas-covid-19-vaccine/articleshow/78234563.cms">https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/res...
Bottom line is that neither Russia nor China can be trusted on their claims for the COVID vaccines. https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/world-news/after-much-fanfare-over-vaccine-there-is-now-an-inexplicable-lull-in-russia-the-reasons-are-unknown/articleshow/78217223.cms">https://m.economictimes.com/news/inte...
The other two Chinese vaccine companies Sinopharm and Sinovac are doing somewhat better than CanSino, and have managed a few international collaborators such as UAE and Philippines. But same pattern is seen here too: mass vaccination before trials. https://m.hindustantimes.com/world-news/in-coronavirus-vaccine-race-china-inoculates-thousands-before-trials-are-completed/story-bwU5PrUfpYy946AFrfiE6M.html">https://m.hindustantimes.com/world-new...
