China National Biotec Group says Covid-19 vaccine will offer protection for at least six months
- Company chairman tells state news agency it is waiting to see if the drug will prove effective over the longer term
- Two of CNBG’s vaccines were authorised for emergency use last year, although final trial results are still pending
“From the data we obtained, there is no problem for half a year [of immunity],” Yang Xiaoming, chairman of the state-owned Sinopharm subsidiary, told the agency.
So far two Covid-19 vaccines have been developed by CNBG and both of them use an inactivated virus to trigger an immune response.
Early stage clinical trials began in China last April, while phase 3 trials started in the Middle East and South America last June and are still under way. Yang did not specify which vaccine he was referring to in the interview. CNBG has been contacted for clarification.
“We are still determining whether it can offer protection for eight months, the result has not yet come out,” Yang added.
“The first person who received the vaccine has been observed for more than eight months, and the result shows that it is still effective.”