Vaccination can be considered one of the most important processes in the field of medicine. It is undoubtedly a breakthrough point in the history of medicine and an enormous amount of lives have been saved thanks to it. 

To put it in simple terms, vaccination is the administration of a vaccine so as to develop immunity within the body to combat a specific disease. Vaccines usually contain a microbe or a virus in an attenuated, killed, or even live state. Some vaccines may contain proteins or toxins produced by the microbe/virus.

The sole purpose of administrating vaccines is to strengthen the body’s immune system by making it produce antibodies so that when a person gets infected with the said disease it becomes easier to eliminate the risk of developing complications. Sometimes a person may not even develop symptoms if he gets infected. To further enhance the immune response, for many vaccines a subsequent second dose is given. It is also referred to as giving the “booster dose.” In some vaccines, however, a third dose is also given.

With the rise of the Covid-19 pandemic owing to its increased transmission and a considerably high mortality rate, scientists were showing a great interest in developing a vaccine against the virus. Relevant researches and experiments were conducted not only in the US but also across Europe and Asia. After months of thorough experimentation, back-to-back analyses, and testing, they were finally able to develop the first vaccine and it was the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

It was developed by joint efforts from the US and Germany. Pfizer was followed by several other vaccines which included the Moderna, Sputnik V, Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sinopharm, etc. This article will be focused on Sinopharm, the covid vaccine developed by Chinese biomedical professionals.

Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV or commonly known as the Sinopharm vaccine is an inactivated type of vaccine. It means as the name suggests, that the inactivated form of the virus is used as the vaccine agent. This type of inactivated vaccine is used for Polio and Rabies, which we are familiar with. Apart from Sinopharm, Sinovac and Covaxin vaccines are the other two vaccines to use the same type of technology. While the first two vaccines have Chinese origin latter is of Indian origin. 

Sinopharm Action in Sri Lanka

Out of those who are vaccinated in Sri Lanka, around 80% have received the Sinopharm and a recent study carried out by the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura stated that the mortality rate of unvaccinated COVID-19 patients under 50 years of age is 3.8% more than the Sinopharm vaccinated of the same category.

The study further stated that the mortality rate among Sinopharm vaccinated but COVID-19 positive patients to be 0.46% accounting for 112 deaths. This proves the vaccine to be effective and most of the deaths accounted were patients suffering from chronic illnesses.

As mentioned before, the Sinopharm vaccine is the most used vaccine type in Sri Lanka and it is the vaccine that is being given to the general population. The vaccine is usually given in two doses and there should be an interval of 3-4 weeks in between. There is still a debate on whether a third dose should be given and it would only be taken into consideration if new stronger variants emerge. 

Studies carried out by Prof.Neelika Malavige and her team further showed that 95% of individuals who received two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine have developed antibodies similar to a naturally infected COVID-19 person and around 81% of those recipients developed antibodies similar to those who would survive a natural COVID-19 infection.

Are the rumors about Sinopharm true?

The Sinopharm vaccine caused controversy in many countries being a Chinese manufactured product as the root of the Covid-19 pandemic was also based in China. However, the rejection of the vaccine from various countries was solely due to political reasons and not based on the efficacy of the vaccine.

The World Health Organization states that the Sinopharm vaccine could produce a weaker response to the virus compared to some other vaccine types as it uses the inactivated virus approach. But WHO approves that the vaccine is sufficiently safe and effective against fighting the virus. Although re-infection after vaccination is possible, the possibility of severe conditions and death after infection is very rare after getting vaccinated with Sinopharm.

Sinopharm was also proved to be highly efficient for the delta variant and also the less strong alpha and beta variants. The vaccine also seems user-friendly since not a single severe side-effect relevant case with regards to the vaccine has been reported. It is also known to be a vaccine with minimum side effects and those include mild pain at the injection site, headache, and fatigue.

With the other vaccines such as AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Sputnik V, there was sufficient performance evaluation data available to decide its efficacy properly. Though due to the lack of data on the performance of the Sinopharm vaccine which was available at its initial state caused many rumors about its efficacy.

Who is the vaccination recommended for?

The Sinopharm vaccine is recommended for individuals over the age of 18. It is advised for people below the age of 18 to be vaccinated as further studies of the effectiveness of the vaccine under 18 are needed.

Due to the lack of data provided on its efficacy on pregnant women, WHO advises pregnant mothers to get their vaccine only when the benefits of getting vaccinated outweigh the potential risk.

People who were previously infected with Covid-19 are also recommended to get the vaccine to reduce the risk of re-infection.

Though tested data of the efficacy on persons living with HIV is unavailable, Sinopharm is a recommended vaccine as it uses an inactivated vaccine that is harmless to their weak immune system.

Individuals with a history of anaphylaxis or life-threatening amount of allergic reactions to any component of the Sinopharm vaccine are highly advised not to receive the vaccine at any time.

Also if a person is running a fever above 38.5 Celcius are advised not to get the jab until the fever fully subsides.

It should be noted however that getting fully vaccinated does not give us the right to break health protocols and not abide by the rules. Vaccination does not guarantee a COVID-19 free life, it only makes it easier for us to survive if infected.

As new and vaccine-resistant variants keep emerging, the immunity provided by the vaccines may not be enough. Therefore, it is best to follow health guidelines and stay indoors without risking the safety of you and those who are around you. Because after all, “PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE”.

Written by Rtr. Inuri Hettiarachchi