Sinovac jab provides over 80% protection, Phuket study finds
A recent survey shows that the Sinovac jabs administered in Phuket have brought the chance of contracting Covid-19 down by up to 83.3 per cent.
Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit, Public Health permanent secretary, said some 22 per cent of Phuket’s population has received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine, while 45 per cent have received their first jab.
“We studied 1,366 people in the high-risk group who had close contact with confirmed patients in Phuket,” he said. “We found that the chance of contracting the virus had dropped by 73.1 per cent among those who had their first jab and by 83.3 per cent among those who got both jabs.
“Of the 31 infected patients who received one dose of the Sinovac vaccine, only four developed pneumonia, while six patients who received both doses showed no sign of pneumonia,” he added.
“Also, since the start of May, Phuket has seen no new patients among those who have received both doses of Sinovac.
“This proves that Sinovac is effective in preventing the transmission of the virus and reducing the chance of developing severe symptoms,” Kiattiphum said.
“However, people who have received both their jabs are still urged to wear facemasks, wash hands regularly and maintain social distancing to remain completely safe from the virus.”
Phuket was chosen to pilot the government’s tourism sandbox scheme, under which tourists who can prove they have been inoculated against Covid-19 and test negative can fly into Phuket and move around freely without having to quarantine. The programme is set to kick off on July 1, while the province aims to inoculate up to 70 per cent of its population to build herd immunity against the virus.
Similar schemes will be applied to other destinations like Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phang Nga and Surat Thani once more people have been vaccinated and more preventive measures put in place.