Coronavirus: Hong Kong panel says decision to approve Sinovac vaccine for use in city was not rushed, no need to wait for WHO nod

Name: Coronavirus: Hong Kong leader says first batch of vaccines set to arrive by end of February
Uploaded: 2021-02-16T11:37:48.000Z
Duration: 1 min 4 s
Description: Coronavirus: Hong Kong leader says first batch of vaccines set to arrive by end of February

Group of 12 experts gives unanimous support for Chinese manufacturer’s vaccine after reviewing new data

Recommendation is for second dose to be given 28 days after first

Reading Time:3 minutes

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A staff member works at a Covid-19 vaccine packaging plant of Sinovac Research and Development in Beijing. Photo: Xinhua

Victor TingandDanny Lee

Published: 7:37pm, 16 Feb 2021Updated: 6:54pm, 17 Feb 2021

Experts advising the government on Hong Kong’s Covid-19 vaccine roll-out have dismissed concerns about a rushed decision, as they unanimously recommended the emergency use of China’s Sinovac, saying there was no need to get the endorsement of the World Health Organization first.

Tuesday’s decision, which paved the way for the government to authorise use of the Sinovac vaccine in the city, was reached after new data provided by the biopharmaceutical company at the request of the panel last week showed an overall efficacy rate of the jab of up to 62.3 per cent.

Panel chairman Professor Wallace Lau Chak-sing said experts in the independent 12-member group agreed “the data at hand shows that the efficacy outweighs the risk”, and recommended the second dose be administered 28 days after the first, following the latest data from Sinovac showing the best antibody response in that scenario.

After clearing the first hurdle, the experts would now take “less than a week” to write a comprehensive recommendation report for Secretary for Food and Health Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee to give final authorisation. But Lau said he was not in a position to say when the jabs would be available for use in the city.

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Coronavirus: Hong Kong leader says first batch of vaccines set to arrive by end of February

In making the recommendation, Lau said there was no outside influence and “no pressure at all from anyone”.

Coronavirus: Hong Kong panel says decision to approve Sinovac vaccine for use in city was not rushed, no need to wait for WHO nod

Group of 12 experts gives unanimous support for Chinese manufacturer’s vaccine after reviewing new data Recommendation is for second dose to be given 28 days after first

Group of 12 experts gives unanimous support for Chinese manufacturer’s vaccine after reviewing new data

Recommendation is for second dose to be given 28 days after first