WHO Experts Weigh in on Sinopharm’s COVID‑19 Vaccine
The World Health Organisation’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) has taken a deep dive into the data coming from China’s state‑owned pharma giant, Sinopharm, and its BBIBP‑CorV COVID‑19 shot. The verdict? “Very low confidence” in the safety evidence for certain groups, but overall still cozy about its disease‑blocking power.
What the Report Says
- Efficacy – In a multi‑country Phase 3 trial across China, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE, two doses of BBIBP‑CorV ticked out an 78.1 % protection rate against PCR‑confirmed COVID‑19 in adults. That’s just a hair less than the 79.34 % figure the company had earlier released.
- Safety Headaches
- Older adults (60+): The data are spotty, so SAGE has “very low confidence” that the vaccine’s serious side‑effect risk is actually low in this age group.
- People with health conditions that spike COVID risk: Similarly, the evidence is thin, leading to the same low‑confidence flag.
- Pregnant women, babies, and the rare but nasty side‑effects: These areas lack robust data, which is why they’re flagged as open questions.
- Gaps and Questions
- How well does the vaccine guard against severe disease in the real world?
- How long does the protection last?
- What about the cold‑chain requirements—and can it keep its promise when transported across diverse climates?
- Current Status – 65 million doses have already flown into 45 countries, rolling out to adults worldwide.
Why It Matters
Even with the safety confidence caveat, the WHO is still in the process of deciding whether to grant the vaccine emergency use listing. That list is a passport to the COVAX global sharing platform and a stamp of international trust in a Chinese‑made vaccine.
As of Wednesday, May 5, no definitive decision is on the table, so countries will keep waiting as experts sift through the data.
Bottom Line
Sinopharm’s vaccine remains a robust wall against getting sick, but the WHO urges caution when it comes to who gets it and when. The search for a fully verified safety profile continues—so keep your toes pointed at updates!
