THIS Snapshot article discusses the safety and side effects of CoronaVac, a Covid-19 vaccine that was recently validated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to protect against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
CoronaVac is a Covid-19 vaccine produced by Sinovac Biotech, a China-based pharmaceutical company with headquarters in Beijing.
The company focuses specifically on the development and manufacturing of vaccines to target human infectious diseases.
This two-dose vaccine is recommended for individuals aged 18 years and above. It has an efficacy rate of 50.4% for preventing symptomatic infection, according to data from a Brazilian trial, and an effectiveness of 67%, according to a real-world study in Chile.
Sinovac’s vaccine was validated for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) by the WHOTrusted Source on June 1. WHO’s EUL procedure for CoronaVac included a review of the vaccine’s safety and efficacy, as well as “onsite inspections of the production facility.”
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The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), WHO’s main advisory board regarding vaccines, also reviewed the vaccine as part of WHO’s EUL validation.
CoronaVac is an inactivated vaccine.
It uses a dead version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus so that it cannot replicate, but it keeps the surface spike protein intact to trigger the body’s immune system to create antibodies for protection against the live virus, if it were to invade.
Phase 1 and 2 clinical trial data for the vaccine, published in The LancetTrusted Source in February 2021, reveal some of the side effects reported by trial participants.
According to the data, the most common side effect reported within 28 days of the second dose was injection-site pain (13–21%, depending on the dosing schedule).
Injection site reactions are common with other Covid-19 vaccines, including the two inactivated Covid-19 vaccines by Sinopharm.
Other side effects included fatigue, diarrhea, and muscle pain. Most of these side effects were mild and lasted only for 2 days.
