Jakarta: Early data from a late-stage trial in Indonesia indicates that a Covid-19 vaccine developed by China's SinovacBiotech has 97-per-cent efficacy, the Indonesian company set to produce the shot said on Tuesday.
Based on "preliminary data, one month into [the trial], we can say that its efficacy is up to 97 percent," Iwan Setiawan, spokesperson for Indonesia's state-owned vaccine maker, Bio Farma, told a press conference.
He cautioned, however, that an immune response produced by the vaccine does not necessarily translate to protection from Covid-19.
"We'll find out in January," Setiawan said.
According to Sinovac's spokesperson in Beijing, the company has not yet obtained effective data on the vaccine. It is expected that trials in Brazil will generate such data, the Jiemian website reported.
Bio Farma is expected to start producing the shots early next year, pending the results of phase-3 clinical trials.
Indonesia on Sunday already took delivery of 1.2 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine from China, which it wants to authorize for emergency use, depending on the results. — DPA
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
