Sinovac shot's protection against ICU admission wanes rapidly too

 

The Special Committee on Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) has announced additional preliminary findings of an ongoing Health Ministry study on the Covid-19 vaccine, following the ministry’s earlier announcement regarding waning vaccine protection against infection.

Now, it reports that protection against intensive care unit (ICU) admission is also waning for the Sinovac vaccine, but the vaccine still retains much of its original protection against death after five months.

“Get your booster shot for optimum protection,” the JKJAV urged in a Facebook post today that includes a chart showing topline results from the ministry’s Real World Evaluation of Coivd-19 Vaccines Under the Malaysian National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (Recovam) study.

The chart shows the Pfizer vaccine is 86 percent effective in preventing ICU admission at one to two months after the second dose, and falls slightly to 79 percent at three to five months after the two doses.

However, the Sinovac vaccine is only 55 percent effective in preventing ICU admission at one to two months after the second dose, and this falls to 28 percent at three to five months.

The Pfizer vaccine is found to be 91 percent effective against Covid-19 deaths with no sign of waning after five months, while the Sinovac vaccine dips slightly from 79 percent to 76 percent.

The chart also shows waning protection for both vaccines against Covid-19 infection, which is the same as those announced by the Health Ministry at a Nov 12 press conference – the Pfizer vaccine’s effectiveness falls from 89 percent to 68 percent, compared to Sinovac’s 76 percent to 28 percent.

The JKJAV says the analysis is based on Covid-19 cases in September, by comparing cases among those vaccinated in April to June versus those vaccinated in July to August.

It uses statistical methods that control for differences in age and other factors.

The government is rolling out Covid-19 booster shots to certain priority groups such as senior citizens, immunocompromised people, frontliners, and people with comorbidities.

People who have previously received two Sinovac doses are eligible for a booster shot three months after their second dose, while recipients of other Covid-19 vaccines are eligible six months after completing their primary vaccination series.

Booster options 

The Drug Control Authority has approved Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Sinovac and AstraZeneca to be used as booster doses.

However, Vaccine Selection Technical Working Group chairperson Dr Kalaiarasu Periasamy previously said the Pfizer vaccine will be the “default” booster shot due to its higher effectiveness compared to a Sinovac booster, unless the recipient is medically unable to use the vaccine.

He said the Sinovac vaccine will still be available for those who have a known allergy to the Pfizer vaccine. Sinovac’s local partner Pharmaniaga, meanwhile, said Sinovac booster shots are also available through the private market.

Last Saturday, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin urged people to take whatever booster that is on offer while noting that Sinovac vaccine recipients make up some 84 percent of the serious breakthrough Covid-19 cases treated at Sungai Buloh Hospital.

 - Mkini