Elderly not to get Sinovac jabs due to scarcity of information: virologist
Chulalongkorn University’s expert virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan on Tuesday explained why the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine is deemed to only be effective on people aged between 18 and 59.
In a Facebook post, he said information on whether the vaccine is effective on people below 18 and over 60 is insufficient, adding that only 4 per cent of the people participating in clinical trials of the vaccine were above 60.
“As soon as there is sufficient information, Sinovac will be provided to the elderly,” he said.
He added that people above the age of 60 face the risk of severe infection, citing the case of Dr Panya Hanphanitphan, a doctor in Mahasarakham province who succumbed to complications from the virus. Dr Yong added that medical personnel must evaluate the vaccine thoroughly to ensure it delivers maximum benefits to the elderly.
"I believe more information on the vaccine should be available soon, making it possible for everyone to be vaccinated,” he added.
Thailand has bought 2 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine from China and the first lot of 200,000 doses is expected to be delivered on Wednesday.
