São Paulo – CoronaVac, the novel coronavirus vaccine produced by São Paulo’s Butantan Institute and China’s Sinovac, was 78% effective in trials. So said São Paulo state governor in a news conference on Thursday (7). The percentage was obtained in Brazilians trials carried out with frontline health workers.
The vaccine ensured 100% protection against severe cases and deaths from the disease, meaning it has a high efficiency against COVID-19, according to governor João Doria (pictured above, center). “Those immunized with the Butantan vaccine will be 78-100% less likely to develop COVID-19,” he said.
Detailed results are being submitted to health regulator Anvisa as part of a request for emergency use of the vaccine. The efficacy rate is well above the 50% benchmark set by Anvisa.
Butantan director Dimas Covas told a news conference that full CoronaVac data would be released in an unspecified scientific publication but did not provide a timeline. According to the governor, the goal is starting the vaccine distribution in São Paulo on January 25.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
