Sinopharm may not provide enough protection for elderly

Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine was less effective in offering protection against the disease among the elderly, according to the results of a Hungarian study. Raising questions for plenty of countries that have given the Chinese company’s shots to their most vulnerable populations.

A study of blood samples taken from 450 individuals in Hungary 2 weeks after their shot showed that 90% under 50 years old developed protective antibodies. But the percentage declined with age, and 50% of those over 80 had none. Suggesting that measures should be put in place to prevent an outbreak of COVID-19 among them, the study's authors said. “This is very, very worrying that these people, who are high-risk, have a poor antibody response,” said Jin Dong-yen, a Hong Kong University.

 Although antibody levels do not show directly how much protected a person is from Covid-19, there is growing evidence that they are essential factors.

Both Sinopharm vaccines are also in wide use in China, including in the elderly. The country’s National Health Commission said in April that the shots provide some protection, even though it acknowledged that early stages of clinical trials of Sinopharm’s vaccines and two others found fewer antibodies in people 60 and over. Hungary might offer a third dose to solve this problem in the elderly.

A recent study showed the vaccine evoked weaker antibody responses against the Delta variant, which was first found in India and is now the dominant variant worldwide. 

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