Sinovac Vaccine Research Team Clarifies News of Volunteers Exposed to Covid-19

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Sinovac vaccine research team manager Eddy Fadlyana on Tuesday responded to the news about 95 volunteers of clinical test allegedly exposed to Covid-19. He clarified that the number was not yet valid.

“That number [95] is just a rough estimation that has not been verified,” said the manager of Padjadjaran University Medical Faculty vaccine team on March 23. 

Reported earlier, the research team chairman Kusnandi Rusmil said there were 95 volunteers who were exposed to the coronavirus. But he did not explain in detail which of them were classified in the placebo or vaccine group. 

In a clinical trial report three months earlier, the team announced there were 25 volunteers who were exposed to the virus. Seven of them were the recipients of the candidate-vaccine while the other 18 were given placebo shots mainly containing saline.

According to Eddy, his side is still collecting all reports on Covid-19 cases among vaccine volunteer subjects. The data will later be followed up through stringent lab tests, which will also see if the volunteers are actual vaccine recipients or not.

The data, he added, will be used as a spectrum to calculate the vaccine's efficacy level. The final report on the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine clinical trial will be available in May. 

Read: More Volunteers in Sinovac Vaccine Trial Tests Positive for Covid-19

ANWAR SISWADI