Indonesia approves China's Sinovac vaccine, says 65.3% effective in trial

A Brazil-based trial showed last week that Sinovac's vaccine candidate is 78% effective while Turkish researchers said in December the vaccine showed 91.25% efficacy based on interim analysis. Indonesia is struggling with the worst COVID-19 outbreak in Southeast Asia and authorities are relying on a vaccine to help alleviate dual health and economic crises ravaging the country.

Indonesia's food and drug agency on Monday granted emergency use approval to a COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech, making it the first country outside China to give the regulatory greenlight to the vaccine. The authorisation came after interim data from a late-stage human trial in Indonesia showed the vaccine was 65.3% effective, Penny K. Lukito, who heads the country's food and drugs regulator BPOM, said.

"These results meet the requirements of the World Health Organisation of a minimum of efficacy of 50%," she said, noting trial results in Brazil and Turkey. A Brazil-based trial showed last week that Sinovac's vaccine candidate is 78% effective while Turkish researchers said in December the vaccine showed 91.25% efficacy based on interim analysis.

Indonesia is struggling with the worst COVID-19 outbreak in Southeast Asia and authorities are relying on a vaccine to help alleviate dual health and economic crises ravaging the country. It has reported 836,718 COVID-19 infections and 24,343 deaths.

Indonesia has received 3 million doses of Sinovac's vaccine, named CoronaVac, and is slated to receive some 122.5 million more that will come in bulks.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)