KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 18): Pharmaniaga Bhd said early data from studies shows that the Sinovac vaccine booster shots are 94% effective against the Omicron variant. The studies by Sinovac Biotech Co Ltd involved two strains of the new variant from Hong Kong, it said in a statement on Saturday (Dec 18). Meng was quoted as saying the GMTs of six months after the third dose is higher than the peak of the second dose. “In addition, the studies also showed higher persistence of antibody six months of the booster dose compared to the second dose, indicating a longer duration of protection from Covid-19 and new variants,” Meng said. Pharmaniaga said these scientific studies also are in line with the statement made by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin on Friday asking all adult Sinovac recipients and those above 60 years old, regardless of their types of vaccines, to take the booster shots by end-February 2022.

Source: The Edge Markets December 19, 2021 01:06 UTC