Indonesian Ministry Review Says Sinovac 98% Effective to Prevent Covid Deaths

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Health Ministry has released the results of their quick study on the effectiveness of Sinovac's Covid-19 vaccine, the CoronaVac. Among the 128,290 health workers who received two doses, it was revealed that the China-made vaccine is effective in preventing up to 98 percent of coronavirus-related deaths from day 28 to 63 after the second injection.

The Sinovac vaccine is also effective in preventing someone from experiencing symptoms of Covid-19, such as coughs, colds, and fever. Research claims that the vaccine's ability to prevent symptoms of Covid-19 reached 94 percent.

"Covid-19 vaccination reduces the risk of treatment and death by up to 98 percent, much more than in individuals who have just received the first dose," the ministry's head of Vaccine Effectiveness Research Team, Pandji Dhewantara, said on May 17 as quoted from the ministry's official website .

The study also showed the vaccine's effectiveness in preventing hospitalization by an average of 96 percent.

The ministry observed 128,290 health workers in Jakarta from January 13 to March 18, 2021. The study involved 82,000 volunteers aged 18 to 49, and the rest above 50 years old.

Nevertheless, the ministry admitted there were limitations in their study of the Sinovac vaccine. The first one is the time inaccuracy of the actual date of onsets. The second is about the analysis which refers to the specified reporting date and observation period. And the third is the possibility of under-testing and tests that were only done on symptomatic cases.

Read: Sinovac Vaccine Reduces COVID-19 Death Risks by 98 Percent

EGI ADYATAMA