(Fighting New Coronary Pneumonia) Interview with Feng Duojia: How effective is the Chinese new crown vaccine?

When can the elderly and children be vaccinated?

　　China News Service, Beijing, January 13 (Reporter Xia Bin) As all parts of China began to receive the new crown vaccine in an orderly manner, a series of related issues have attracted attention.

How long can vaccination protect?

How about China's vaccine production capacity?

When can the elderly and children make an appointment for vaccination?

Recently, Feng Duojia, president of the China Vaccine Industry Association, said in an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Agency that China’s inactivated COVID-19 vaccine has a more optimistic outlook. He hopes that the total output of domestic COVID-19 vaccine will reach 1.8 billion doses by the end of this year. It will not be too long before the vaccination is carried out for the under-18s.

Data map: Medical staff inject vaccines for vaccinators.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Jiang Qiming

　　If vaccination is compared to a war, vaccine production is the key logistical supply, and this ability determines the speed of vaccination.

Feng Duojia revealed that at present, 18 companies in China have successively started the construction of new crown virus vaccine production capacity. Among them, the Beijing Institute of Sinopharm, Wuhan Institute and Beijing Kexing Zhongwei have respectively established high-level biosafety production workshops for new crown inactivated vaccines. (P3 workshop), large-scale production has begun.

　　"After the completion of the second-phase expansion project of Sinopharm China Bio-Beijing Institute, the production capacity is expected to reach more than 1 billion doses this year. If the clinical trials of these companies can be successfully passed and approved for listing, then the production lines of these 18 companies will be able to work overtime. , The production capacity will be expanded rapidly. We hope that the total output will reach 1.8 billion doses by the end of this year.” Feng Duojia said.

　　He further stated that the inactivated vaccine process is more mature, and the important thing is to ensure the stability of the production process and the continuous consistency of quality, which is to ensure the pass rate.

For new vaccines that may be developed in the future, such as the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, there must be a process to optimize the process and increase the yield. For example, it will improve the current ultra-low temperature storage and transportation conditions.

　　Is it safe to receive the new crown vaccine?

Talking about the effective time of protection of domestic vaccines, Feng Duojia pointed out that this can only be known through long-term and continuous clinical observation.

Take the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine developed in China as an example. The first clinical trial has been started and it has been continuously observed for ten months. It has shown that the level of protective antibodies can still be maintained at a high level. Not less than half a year.

"Relevant research is still ongoing, and the prospects are still relatively optimistic."

　　Feng Duojia also reminded that from the clinical results, it is certain that the vaccine is safe and effective, but no vaccine in the world has a protection rate of 100%.

In the current situation where herd immunity has not yet been established, even if vaccinated, protection must be done, including wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and maintaining social distance.

　　With vaccination, is China still far from establishing herd immunity?

According to Feng Duojia, based on previous observations of the effectiveness of vaccination, combined with the protection rate shown in clinical trials of the new crown vaccine, it is theoretically necessary for about 70% to 85% of the population to be vaccinated to establish a relatively stable herd immune barrier.

Based on this calculation, the number of people in China to be vaccinated ranges from 900 million to 1.2 billion.

The actual number of people to be covered depends on various conditions such as changes in the epidemic situation and the effectiveness of protective measures, and some dynamic adjustments must be made.

　　Recently, a number of cities in China have discovered new coronavirus variants imported from abroad. Will this affect the current vaccine effectiveness?

Feng Duojia said that according to the research reports of relevant institutions at home and abroad, the sequencing analysis of the new coronavirus variant strains showed that the mutations that appeared did not affect the protective effect of the vaccines currently developed.

China used the antibodies produced by the vaccines developed in the early stage to neutralize the strains from different sources, and the immune effect did not change.

　　The Chinese people found that an important message appeared in the new crown vaccination instructions, that is, the current age limit for the vaccinated population is 18 to 60. When can children and the elderly make appointments for vaccination?

Feng Duojia pointed out that China's new crown vaccination work is divided into three steps. The first step is for key populations between 18 and 59 years old and those at higher risk of infection; the second step will be gradually expanded to high-risk groups based on the improvement of vaccine supply guarantee capabilities. Crowd vaccination, that is, people who are prone to severe illness after being infected with the new coronavirus, mainly including the elderly and people with underlying diseases; the third step is to expand to the entire population.

　　Feng Duojia said that from the clinical situation of inactivated vaccines in China, it involves the division of different age groups.

According to the trial design arrangement, the trials of different age groups, such as those under the age of 18, are carried out on a stubble basis. Now phase III clinical trials are also underway, and we need to wait for the results of phase III clinical trials to be proven safe and effective through statistical analysis and obtained supervision When approved by the department, other age groups can be vaccinated. It is estimated that this time will not be too long.

　　"The'received' new crown vaccine is responsible for the health of yourself and your family, and it is also an effective way to block the new crown virus. Everyone is involved in it, and an immune barrier can be established in the population as soon as possible." Feng Duojia called for the majority. Vaccinators should have full confidence in Chinese vaccines. The Chinese government implements the most stringent supervision of vaccines, and puts the quality and safety of the new crown vaccine first. The vaccines now approved for marketing have undergone the strictest supervision under the strictest supervision. The test proved to be safe and effective.

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