Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine gains China approval for emergency use in children, adolescents

[webfact]

FILE PHOTO: A health worker holds a syringe and a vial of the Sinovac coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at a market after hundreds of local residents in the district tested positive for COVID-19 in Bangkok, Thailand, March 17, 2021. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has approved emergency use of Sinovac Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine in people aged between three and 17, its chairman Yin Weidong told state TV late on Friday.

 

China's mass vaccination drive, which administered 723.5 million doses of vaccines as of June 3, is currently only open to those aged 18 and above.

 

When Sinovac's vaccine will be offered to younger groups depends on health authorities formulating China's inoculation strategies, Yin told state TV in an live interview.

 

Yin said minors have lower priority for vaccination against the coronavirus compared with the elderly, who face higher risk of severe symptoms after infection.

 

Preliminary results from Phase I and II clinical trials showed the vaccine could trigger immune response in three to 17 year-old participants, and most adverse reactions were mild.

 

State-backed drugmaker Sinopharm, which has two shots using similar technology to Sinovac's product, is also submitting data for clearance in younger groups. A vaccine from CanSino Biologics', adopting a different technique, has entered a Phase II trial involving those aged between six and 17.

 

Sinovac has also completed a Phase II clinical trial where participants were injected with a third booster dose after completing two regular shots, Yin said.

 

Participants saw 10 fold increase in antibody levels compared with previous levels in a week, and 20 fold in half a month, Yin said.

 

Yin cautioned that Sinovac still needs to complete longer-term observation of antibody duration before it can make recommendation to authorities about when a third dose should be given.

 

(Reporting by Roxanne Liu and Ryan Woo; Editing by Michael Perry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-06-05

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[4MyEgo]

The world has gone mad, kids are the least who get infected, so why even bother.

 

Over this c-r-a-p, seriously !!!

Edited June 5, 2021 by 4MyEgo

[Nojohndoe]

3 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

The world has gone mad, kids are the least who get infected, so why even bother.

 

Over this c-r-a-p, seriously !!!

A significant number of kids do get infected. They apparently have a more reactive/rapid immune response that masks the fact and as asymptomatic carriers have the potential to start clusters.

The urgency in trials to establish efficacy in covid-19 vaccines did not ignore ethical and legal constraints against including  minors as trial participants. Same constraints have existed while the vaccines are only EUO approved .

In China perhaps extended trials have continued with minors and the CCP being as it is maybe via assuming state approved consent on institutionalized subjects?

At the other end of the age scale initial use for over 60's was cautionary because that age group was under represented in many trials so data was not specific enough.

[internationalism]

there is a theory that kids rarely get covid, because have regular vax for many other viruses and bacteria, so their immune system is constantly stimulated.

also they are protected from co-infection, so lowering chances of developing serious condition.

Adults suppose to have some vax above certain age, but also regular boosters.

Unlike vax for children, which are obligatory, those for adults are voluntary. So they are often neglected. 

Adults might get vax when travelling extensively to africa, S america or Asia - on advice from travel clinics or sometimes travel insurance might require do so. But that's a very small part of population.

I think all adults should get covid vax, but for kids it's parents, who should decide

  

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, Nojohndoe said:

A significant number of kids do get infected. They apparently have a more reactive/rapid immune response that masks the fact and as asymptomatic carriers have the potential to start clusters.

The urgency in trials to establish efficacy in covid-19 vaccines did not ignore ethical and legal constraints against including  minors as trial participants. Same constraints have existed while the vaccines are only EUO approved .

In China perhaps extended trials have continued with minors and the CCP being as it is maybe via assuming state approved consent on institutionalized subjects?

At the other end of the age scale initial use for over 60's was cautionary because that age group was under represented in many trials so data was not specific enough.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus-outbreak-and-kids

[Artisi]

And why wouldn't China approve its own vaccine - useless approval, only 2nd or even 3rd level independent approval is meaningful for kids.

For us old fartz doesn't really matter if we cash in our chips  a bit early, but for kids they should be given every opportunity of becoming old fartz - not filled with unproven vaccine at an early age. 

Edited June 5, 2021 by Artisi

[placeholder]

5 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

The world has gone mad, kids are the least who get infected, so why even bother.

 

Over this c-r-a-p, seriously !!!

There's a difference between being symptomatic and being infected. An infected person can be asymptomatic and still pass on the virus to those who are more vulnerable.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

China has approved emergency use of Sinovac Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine in people aged between three and 17, its chairman Yin Weidong told state TV late on Friday.

Am I surprised, would I inject my kids with it.. same answer to both.

[placnx]

10 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

The world has gone mad, kids are the least who get infected, so why even bother.

 

Over this c-r-a-p, seriously !!!

Sorry, but just today on BBC it was noted that a third of teenagers admitted to hospital went into ICU or similar. I believe that this was reported from the US. Variants are more serious than the original Covid.

 

It is important to vaccinate children if there will be any hope of achieving herd immunity. Also, if infected they can infect vulnerable family members who could die from Covid.

[StevieAus]

On 6/5/2021 at 2:08 PM, Artisi said:

And why wouldn't China approve its own vaccine - useless approval, only 2nd or even 3rd level independent approval is meaningful for kids.

For us old fartz doesn't really matter if we cash in our chips  a bit early, but for kids they should be given every opportunity of becoming old fartz - not filled with unproven vaccine at an early age. 

My thoughts exactly, I wouldn’t trust anything that comes out of China and certainly nothing they say, particularly as they tried by all means to obstruct the Covid leak investigation.

I am not anti vaccine and my daughter has every vaccine available that has been approved.

I would want to see data from the West before giving it to minors