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Did US Intentionally Release COVID Virus In Wuhan?!

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Did the US government intentionally release the COVID-19 virus in Wuhan, to trigger a global pandemic so that people will accept vaccines?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : US Intentionally Released COVID Virus In Wuhan!

People are sharing an article by The Standard newspaper in Hong Kong, in which David Martin claimed that the US government intentionally released the COVID-19 virus in Wuhan, to trigger a global pandemic so that people will accept vaccines!

The article is being shared not only by anti-vaccination activists and conspiracy theorists, but also pro-CCP netizens and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) as “evidence” that the COVID-19 pandemic was caused by the United States, and not China.

Here is an excerpt from the article. It’s long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

US ‘intentionally released Covid virus in Wuhan’ EU summit told

The Covid-19 coronavirus was “intentionally released” by the United States in Wuhan, China, with the target to trigger a global pandemic to raise public acceptance of vaccines, a US businessman specializing in patent auditing said.

David Martin, the founding chairman of M Cam asset management company, said at an International Covid Summit organized by the European Parliament in Brussels earlier this month that the US was responsible for the making of both coronaviruses causing the outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome – or SARS – in 2003 and the Covid-19 pandemic in the past three years.

The third edition of the summit featured speakers from anti-lockdown advocates to medical academia to discuss the global pandemic response. The speakers shed light on the possibility that the coronavirus which caused the pandemic was man-made, instead of naturally occurring.

In his speech, Martin said: “The pandemic that we alleged to have happened in the last few years did not happen overnight. In fact, the very specific pandemic using the coronavirus began at a different time.”

He said that in 1965, scientists discovered the coronavirus as a model of a pathogen – an agent that causes disease. They also found out that coronaviruses can be modified.

“Later we started learning how to modify a coronavirus by putting them in animals such as dogs and pigs,” Martin said, adding that such a practice became the basis for US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer’s first coronavirus spike protein vaccine in 1990.

But very soon the medical sector and drug makers found out that the vaccines did not work.

“Because the coronavirus is a malleable model, it mutates,” Martin said. “Every medical publication concluded that coronaviruses escape vaccines because it modifies and mutates too rapidly for a vaccine to be developed.”

In 2002, a university in North Carolina initiated a study to develop an “infectious replication defective,” which Martin interpreted as “a weapon to target individuals, but not have collateral damage.”

Characterizing the project as having “mysteriously preceded SARS by a year,” Martin said the coronavirus that caused the highly deadly infection was not from China and that it was “engineered” instead of naturally occurring.

On Covid-19, Martin said the coronavirus – named as SARS-CoV-2 by the World Health Organization – was poised for human emergence in 2016, with a preview about an “accidental or intentional release of a respiratory coronavirus” from a laboratory in Wuhan.

He said the purpose of the coronavirus “release” was to boost global acceptance on universal vaccination.

Explaining the common concern among the medical industry, Martin said: “Until an infectious crisis is very real, present and at the emergency threshold, it is often largely ignored.

“To sustain the funding base beyond the crisis, we need to increase the public understanding of the need for medical countermeasures, such as the pan-influenza, or pan-coronavirus, vaccine. A key drive is the media and the economics will follow the hype.

“We [pharmaceutical firms] need to use that hype to our advantage to get to the real issue. Investors will respond if they see profit at the end of the process,” he said.

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Recommended : Why International COVID Summit III Criticised Vaccine!

 

Truth : US Did Not Release COVID-19 Virus In Wuhan!

This appears to be yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter, and here are the reasons why!

Fact #1 : International COVID Summit III Was Not Organised By EU Parliament

The article wrongly states that the International COVID Summit III was organised by the European Parliament.

As I explained in my previous article, the International COVID Summit III was not an official EU Parliament event. It appears to be a private conference organised by COVID-19 conspiracy theorists and anti-vaccination activists.

Held in the Anna Lindh room of the European Parliament, it was not an official EU or European Parliament event, and only 5 MEPs attended as “co-hosting members” of the event.

In other words – the speakers at this event was only “testifying” to the few attendees in the room, and to the event’s livestream, not to the European Parliament.

You can read all about the ICS3 in my earlier article, Why International COVID Summit III Criticised Vaccine!

Fact #2 : This Was The First International COVID Summit

The article also wrongly called it the “third edition of the summit”. The first International COVID Summit, and International COVID Summit 2 do not appear to exist!

What actually existed were the Global COVID-19 Summit, and the 2nd Global COVID-19 Summit, but they are both completely unrelated to this International COVID Summit III. Those were official events involving heads of states and governments, as well as heads of international organisations, NGOs, and industries across the world.

So why would this International COVID Summit jump to its “third” iteration, when this was really the first time it was held? Could it be trying to mislead people into thinking that it was the third version of the Global COVID-19 Summit?!

Fact #3 : Coronavirus Was First Isolated In 1930s

David Martin said that the first coronavirus as a model of a pathogen was isolated in 1965. Well, I have no idea what he meant by “as a model of a pathogen”, but that’s wrong on several counts.

  • first coronavirus sample (IBV) was isolated in 1930s
  • second coronavirus sample (MHV) was isolated in 1947
  • third coronavirus sample (B814) was isolated in 1961
  • fourth coronavirus sample (229-E) was isolated in 1966
  • all four virus samples were determined to be from same group, and named “coronavirus” in 1967

You can read more about this in my earlier article – Did US + UK Create COVID-19 As Bioweapon?!

Fact #4 : Vaccines Work Even When Virus Mutates

All viruses can mutate when they replicate, just like how all animals evolve through reproduction. Just because a virus mutates does not mean that vaccines stop working.

Vaccines are training programs that teach our immune system how to identify the actual virus, and make its own antibodies against it. It’s like training your army by showing them how the enemy soldiers look like and behave, so they can train and prepare for war.

The vaccines do not stay in your body to fight the COVID-19 virus. They only teach your immune system how to do that, and they do that regardless of whether the virus has mutated or not.

As viruses evolve, they may get better at evading the antibodies that your immune system developed to defeat them. But that doesn’t mean they are immune. The antibodies may not be as effective, but they will still offer some protection, reducing the risk of severe disease and death.

This isn’t just theory. During the pandemic, the first vaccines only targeted the original SARS-CoV-2 virus. But it continued to offer robust protection against the Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants that came after.

Fact #5 : No Evidence US Released COVID-19 Virus In Wuhan

Claims that the US released the COVID-19 in Wuhan to create the pandemic has been circulating since 2020, but until today – there has been ZERO EVIDENCE of that.

Pro-CCP netizens and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) accused US soldiers like Maatje Benassi of spreading the COVID-19 virus while participating in the 2019 Military World Games. They even spread a fake video (see below), claiming to show an American soldier spreading the COVID-19 virus in a subway in Wuhan.

However, all of those claims have long been proven to be completely false. More importantly, David Martin himself did not offer any actual evidence that the US released the COVID-19 virus, intentionally or otherwise, in Wuhan.

Recommended : Was COVID-19 Created In Fort Detrick Bio Lab?

Fact #6 : Most COVID-19 Vaccines Developed By Foreign Companies

The claim that the US government would create a pandemic to drive demand for vaccines is ludicrous. For one thing – big pharmaceutical companies are public-listed companies, and many are based outside of the United States.

More importantly – most COVID-19 vaccines were developed by foreign companies:

  • Only the Moderna Spikevax vaccine was developed in the United States
  • The Pfizer COMIRNATY vaccine was developed by German company, BioNTech
  • The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was developed by Oxford University, and AstraZeneca is a UK company.
  • The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was developed by Janssen Vaccines in the Netherlands.
  • The Sinovac, Sinopharm, CanSino COVID-19 vaccines were developed in China.

So the conspiracy theory that the United States created the COVID-19 pandemic for profit is absurd…

Fact #7 : Vaccines Are Cheaper Than Cures

I should also point out that prevention is always better and CHEAPER than the cure. Vaccines may seem expensive, and a way for Big Pharma to make billions of dollars. But vaccines are still better and CHEAPER than the cures.

Vaccines prevent you from developing severe COVID-19, thus negating your need to be hospitalised – which is expensive. Sure, Big Pharma now has drugs to treat COVID-19, like PAXLOVID, but they are much more expensive.

When it comes to dollars and common sense, vaccines are cheaper and better because they prevent hospitalisation. Big Pharma would make far more money selling you everything from expensive new drugs like PAXLOVID, or machines and drugs to keep you alive in the ICU!

Recommended : Do COVID-19 Vaccines DOUBLE Heart Attack Risk?!

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

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Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Are 70 Countries Planning To Sue China For Vaccine Deaths?!

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Are 70 countries around the world preparing to sue China for COVID-19 vaccine deaths?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : 70 Countries Are Preparing To Sue China For Vaccine Deaths!

This message is going viral on WhatsApp and Twitter, claiming that 70 countries around the world are preparing to sue China for COVID-19 vaccine deaths.

Miles Guo
💥Due to the vaccine-related death, around 70 countries are preparing to sue China in the International Arbitration Court, if US ceases the vaccine mandate, China may have to pay 600 trill USD for all the vaccine-related mortality🤢they work for another 10,000 years!

The message is often linked to the source of that claim – this Gnews article :

On May 29th in a livestream, Miles Guo revealed that currently at least 70 countries that have adopted Communist China’s vaccines are preparing to sue the Chinese Communist Party – CCP for vaccine-related deaths. These countries are requesting an independent arbitration in the International Arbitration Court in UK London.

He said for sure the CCP won’t show up in the court, which would lead to a unilateral arbitration directly, and in that case, it’s almost 100% sure that the court would find CCP liable for the vaccine related deaths, which might bring up to approximately 600 trillion USD for a compensation, and that is an astronomical amount for the Chinese deplorables (Lao Baixing) to pay.

 

Truth : 70 Countries Are Not Preparing To Sue China For Vaccine Deaths!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by G News, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Country Is Preparing To Sue China For Vaccine Deaths

Despite what Miles Guo may claim, there is no country that is planning to sue the Chinese Communist Party for deaths related to Chinese vaccines.

Fact #2 : There Is No International Arbitration Court

There is no international body called the International Arbitration Court. The two major courts that deal with disputes between countries are :

  • The International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations
  • The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), which is a non-UN intergovernmental organisation.

Neither the ICJ nor the PCA are based in London, the United Kingdom. They are both based in The Hague, Netherlands.

There is a London Court of International Arbitration, but that is a British private company offers dispute resolution through arbitration and mediation. Hardly a proper channel to “sue” China, isn’t it?

Fact #3 : G-Times News Is Infamous For Fake News

This fake story was created by G-Times News (also known as GNews or G News), a website owned by Guo Media.

Guo Media is a company associated with Guo Wengui (also known as Miles Guo), an exiled Chinese businessman, and Steve Bannon – both of whom are infamous for creating and spreading misinformation.

Naturally, both Guo and Bannon are often featured in G News coverage. It doesn’t make them prescient, just pretentious.

Just like the time G-Times News claimed that Pfizer delisted itself on the Nasdaq and NYSE!

Read more : Is Pfizer Delisting Itself On Nasdaq + NYSE?!

Fact #4 : Chinese Vaccines Save Lives

China has been selling tons of COVID-19 vaccines, in particular, the Sinovac CoronaVac, the Sinopharm BIBP and the CanSino Convidecia.

They were not very efficacious even against the ancestral COVID-19 virus, but they offered very good protection against severe disease and death, as this table shows.

Their efficacy against COVID-19 variants like Delta and Omicron were much poorer to be sure. But we have to acknowledge that these Chinese vaccines still saved lives.

Read more : Pfizer vs. Sinovac : Which Is Better Against Omicron Variant?
Read more : Why Sinovac Recipients May Need Two Pfizer Booster Doses!
Read more : Does Sinovac Booster Offer 94% Protection Against Omicron?

COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Against
Symptomatic
Infection 		Severe
Disease		 Death
Pfizer Comirnaty 95.0% 100% 100%
Gamaleya Sputnik V 91.6% 100% 100%
Moderna mRNA-1273 94.1% 100% 100%
AstraZeneca AZD1222 62% ~ 90% 100% 100%
Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV 79% ~ 86% 90% 100%
J&J Janssen COVID-19 66.0% 85% 100%
CanSino Convidecia 65.7% 90.98% 100%
Sinovac CoronaVac 50.65% 83.7% 100%

Fact #5 : CCP Did Not Make COVID-19 Vaccines

The Chinese COVID-19 vaccines were developed and produced by various Chinese pharmaceutical companies, not the Chinese Communist Party.

So it would be really absurd to sue the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), or the country of China, for the poor efficacy of vaccines produced by Chinese companies.

Only fake news creators and conspiracy theorists can come up with such ridiculous claims, and expect to be taken seriously.

I hope you found this fact check article useful. Please help us fight fake news by sharing it out!

 

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Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Alert : COVID-19 Vaccination Status Changes On 1 April 2022!

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Please note that your COVID-19 vaccination status in Malaysia will change on 1 April 2022, depending on the vaccine and number of doses you received.

Take a look at the finalised schedule of COVID-19 vaccination status changes that will take effect very soon!

 

Vaccination Status Changes For Seniors, Sinovac + Sinopharm Recipients

On 24 February 2022, Malaysia Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that these individuals will be required to get a booster dose by 31 March 2022.

  • 60 years and older who were fully-vaccinated with any COVID-19 vaccine
  • 18 years and older who were fully-vaccinated with the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine

That was extended on 24 March 2022, to include individuals 18 years and older who were fully vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine as well.

Starting 1 April 2022, individuals in all three groups who do not get their booster dose will lose their fully-vaccinated status.

To be clear – this is not a vaccine mandate. You are free to refuse the booster dose. However, your MySejahtera will show that you are not fully-vaccinated.

 

COVID-19 Vaccination Status Changes On 1 April 2022!

On 24 March 2021, the Malaysia Ministry of Health also announced changes to the COVID-19 vaccination status, adding a new Booster status.

From 1 April 2022 onwards, there will be four possible vaccination status in MySejahtera (from best to worst) :

  • Boosted
  • Fully Vaccinated
  • Partially Vaccinated
  • Unvaccinated

For your convenience, here is a table summarising the COVID-19 vaccination status changes that will kick in on 1 April 2022 :

COVID-19 Vaccine No. of Doses 18-59
Years Old		 60 Years Old
& Above
Sinovac
Sinopharm 		2 Doses Partially Vaccinated
3 Doses Fully Vaccinated
Pfizer
Moderna
AstraZeneca
Covaxin
Covishield
Novavax
Sputnik V
 2 Doses Fully Vaccinated Partially Vaccinated
3 Doses Boosted Fully Vaccinated
CanSino
Janssen
Sputnik Light
 1 Dose Fully Vaccinated Partially Vaccinated
2 Doses Boosted Fully Vaccinated

Please note that the Malaysia Ministry of Health is offering four different booster doses for FREE.

They are also allowing you to walk-into the nearest PPV (COVID-19 vaccination centre) for your booster dose.

So take this opportunity to get a boost in your protection against COVID-19!

Read more : Malaysia COVID-19 Booster Dose Policy : 22 March Edition!

Primary Series
Vaccine
 Recommended
Booster 		Timing After
Primary Series
Pfizer Pfizer or AstraZeneca After 3 months
AstraZeneca Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Sinovac Pfizer, AstraZeneca,
CanSino or Sinovac
Sinopharm Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Moderna Pfizer or AstraZeneca
CanSino Pfizer, AstraZeneca
or CanSino
Sputnik V Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Janssen Pfizer or AstraZeneca After 2 months

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Malaysia COVID-19 Booster Dose Policy : 22 Mar 2022!

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Here is our LATEST summary of the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose policy in Malaysia, as of 21 March 2022!

 

Malaysia Ramping Up COVID-19 Booster Dose Program!

Malaysia started the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose programme on 13 October 2021, targeting those who received the Pfizer vaccine more than 6 months ago.

It was then expanded to those who received the Sinovac vaccine more than 3 months ago, on 22 October 2021.

On 9 November 2021, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) announced that it would be made available to younger adults.

On 24 November 2021, KKM announced that it will be open to anyone above 18, including those who received AstraZeneca, Cansino, Sinopharm and Janssen vaccines.

On 16 December 2021, KKM made it mandatory for vulnerable individuals to receive the booster shot, to be considered as fully-vaccinated.

On 28 December 2021, KKM halved the booster dose interval for most COVID-19 vaccines!

On 21 March 2022, KKM added the CanSino booster dose to the PICK vaccination programme, and updated its booster dose recommendations.

 

Latest COVID-19 Booster Dose Policy In Malaysia Explained!

Here is our summary of Malaysia’s COVID-19 vaccine booster dose policy!

Why Should We Get It?

It is recommended that you get the booster dose to better protect against more contagious COVID-19 variants like the Delta variant, and the new Omicron variant.

The primary series of COVID-19 vaccines continues to protect you against hospitalisation and death. However, the Delta and Omicron variants are partially-resistant to the vaccines, and will cause more breakthrough infections.

While most of these breakthrough infections will be mild or moderate, it puts vulnerable people – the elderly and people with co-morbidities – at risk. That’s why they are being given the booster shot first, over everyone else.

In addition, antibody protection from COVID-19 vaccines has been shown to wane over 2-6 months, so booster doses are necessary to restore optimal protection.

Read more : Sinovac Vaccine Efficacy Rapidly Drops After 2 Months!
Read more : Why The Delta Variant Causes MORE Breakthrough Infections!

What Vaccines Have Been Approved As Booster Dose?

The Malaysia Drug Control Authority (DCA) approved the Pfizer booster dose on 8 October 2021.

Only on 17 November 2021 did they also approve the AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines as booster doses.

Then on 6 January 2022, they approved the CanSino vaccine as a booster dose.

How Soon Can You Get The Booster Dose?

You can now get your booster dose as early as THREE (3) months after completing your primary series for most vaccines, or TWO (2) months for the Janssen vaccine.

Here is a table I created to summarise the booster options and when you can get one :

Primary Series
Vaccine
 Recommended
Booster 		Timing After
Primary Series
Pfizer Pfizer or AstraZeneca After 3 months
AstraZeneca Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Sinovac Pfizer, AstraZeneca,
CanSino or Sinovac
Sinopharm Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Moderna Pfizer or AstraZeneca
CanSino Pfizer, AstraZeneca
or CanSino
Sputnik V Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Janssen Pfizer or AstraZeneca After 2 months

Pfizer Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Pfizer vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

  • Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
  • Alternative : AstraZeneca booster shot

AstraZeneca Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the AstraZeneca vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

  • Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
  • Alternative : AstraZeneca booster shot

Sinovac Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

  • Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
  • Alternative : AstraZeneca / CanSino / Sinovac booster shot

If you are not comfortable with the Pfizer vaccine, please consider the AstraZeneca booster shot instead, because it is far superior to the Sinovac booster shot.

If you must have a Chinese vaccine, then consider the CanSino booster shot, which is superior to the Sinovac booster shot.

Read more : Can You And Should You Get A Sinovac Booster Dose?
Read more : Sinovac Vaccine Efficacy Rapidly Drops After 2 Months!

Sinopharm Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Sinopharm vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

  • Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
  • Alternative : AstraZeneca booster shot

Note : CITF-B originally allowed a third dose of Sinopharm as a booster shot, but it has NOT been approved by the NPRA, and is therefore not available at the moment.

Moderna Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Moderna vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

  • Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
  • Alternative : AstraZeneca booster shot

Sputnik V Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Sputnik V vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

  • Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
  • Alternative : AstraZeneca booster shot

CanSino Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the CanSino vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after vaccination.

  • Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
  • Alternative : AstraZeneca or CanSino booster shot

If you are not comfortable with the Pfizer vaccine, please consider the AstraZeneca booster shot, because it is superior to the CanSino booster shot.

Opt for the CanSino booster shot, if you must have a Chinese vaccine.

Janssen Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine can receive their booster shot 2 months after vaccination.

  • Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
  • Alternative : AstraZeneca booster shot

Who Can Receive It?

On 24 November 2021, the Ministry of Health announced that the COVID-19 booster doses will be available to all individuals 18 years and above.

However, the appointments will be prioritised using the age step down approach, with priority for frontliners, individuals with co-morbidities, pregnant mothers, and those who have to travel overseas.

Is COVID-19 Booster Dose Mandatory?

Like the COVID-19 vaccine, the booster shot is NOT mandatory.

Is It Necessary To Be Fully-Vaccinated?

Yes, for certain vulnerable groups.

On 16 December 2021, the Ministry of Health (KKM) announced that these individuals MUST receive a booster shot by end of February 2022, to be considered as fully-vaccinated.

On 7 February 2022, this was extended to end of March 2022.

  • Individuals who received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine, and
  • Individuals 60 years and older who completed other COVID-19 vaccines,

Those who do not meet these requirements by end of March 2022 will lose their “fully-vaccinated” status in MySejahtera.

They will only regain their fully-vaccinated status once they receive the booster dose.

Read more : Booster Deadline for Seniors + Sinovac Recipients Extended!

Is It A Good Idea To Mix COVID-19 Vaccines?

Yes, studies have shown that it is not only safe to mix COVID-19 vaccines, such heterologous vaccinations will greatly increase your protection against the coronavirus.

Many countries are now giving heterologous booster shots, and the JKJAV expert committee has also recommended to proceed with heterologous vaccinations.

Heterologous vaccination is like learning different martial arts. By learning different ways to handle the coronavirus, your immune system is better able to beat COVID-19.

The Malaysia Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who was vaccinated with two doses of the Sinovac vaccine, also received a Pfizer heterologous booster shot :

Do We Need To Pay?

Like the COVID-19 vaccine, the booster shot is provided for FREE under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK).

How To Apply For COVID-19 Booster Dose?

You do NOT need to apply for the COVID-19 booster dose.

Once you are eligible, you will be given an appointment notification in MySejahtera to go to a GP / government clinic or hospital for your booster dose.

If you do not have MySejahtera, you will be informed by SMS. So please keep an eye out for your appointment!

You can also put yourself on the COVID-19 vaccine standby list at nearby clinics.

Read more : How To Register For The COVID-19 Vaccine Standby List?

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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You Can Soon Get CanSino Booster Dose For FREE!

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You can soon get the CanSino booster dose for FREE under the PICK vaccination programme!

Here is what you need to know…

 

You Can Soon Get CanSino Booster Dose For FREE!

The Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) conditionally approved the CanSino Convidecia vaccine as a booster dose on 6 January 2022.

This conditional approval allows the CanSino Convidecia booster dose to be given to individuals 18 years and older, after 3 to 6 months from getting the single-dose vaccine.

On 21 March 2022, KKM announced that they will make the CanSino booster dose available for FREE under the PICK vaccination programme.

It will mainly be used as a booster dose for existing Chinese vaccines.

You will be able to apply for the CanSino booster dose in MySejahtera shortly.

Primary Series
Vaccine
 Recommended
Booster 		Timing After
Primary Series
Pfizer Pfizer or AstraZeneca After 3 months
AstraZeneca Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Sinovac Pfizer, AstraZeneca,
CanSino or Sinovac
Sinopharm Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Moderna Pfizer or AstraZeneca
CanSino Pfizer, AstraZeneca
or CanSino
Sputnik V Pfizer or AstraZeneca
Janssen Pfizer or AstraZeneca After 2 months

 

CanSino Convidecia Booster Dose : A Quick Primer

The CanSino Convidecia vaccine works similarly to other viral vector vaccines, like the AstraZeneca AZD1222 and Gamaleya Sputnik V vaccines.

It uses a modified Ad5 virus containing the DNA instructions for the SARS-CoV-2 protein spike, which are then created by your own cells and presented on their surfaces.

These “foreign” protein spikes triggers the body’s immune system, which then makes antigens to target these spikes.

The Convidecia is a single-dose vaccine, so its booster dose is its “second” dose. It works by triggering the immune system a second time, greatly boosting the amount of antibodies.

Recommended : CanSino COVID-19 Vaccine : What You Need To Know!

 

CanSino Convidecia Booster Dose : Should You Get It?

The Sinovac primary dose vaccine had a 65.7% efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19, so its booster dose will certainly be superior to the Sinovac booster dose (50.4% efficacy).

It is likely that KKM is offering the CanSino booster dose as a superior alternative to the Sinovac booster dose, to those who must absolutely receive only a Chinese vaccine.

That said, its efficacy is not as good as the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine. That is why KKM is still recommending the Pfizer or AstraZeneca booster dose.

If you want the best possible booster dose, get the Pfizer vaccine. Alternatively, get the AstraZeneca vaccine if you have an allergic reaction or strong side effects from an earlier Pfizer vaccination.

But opt for the CanSino booster dose, if you need a Chinese vaccine for easier travel to China. It is certainly a superior vaccine to the other option – Sinovac.

Hopefully, the introduction of the CanSino booster dose will see the Sinovac vaccine phased out for good.

 

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Why COVID-19 Vaccine Shelf Life Keeps Getting Extended!

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Did you know that COVID-19 vaccine shelf life can be extended beyond what’s printed on the vial, sometimes more than once?

Find out why they keep extending vaccine shelf life, and whether we should be worried about that!

 

COVID-19 Vaccine Shelf Life Is Way Too Short

Based on their experience developing past vaccines, manufacturers have a good idea of how long their vaccines will remain stable and retain their quality and efficacy.

When properly stored, vaccines can last a long time. Most vaccines actually have a shelf life of about three years.

However, vaccine manufacturers have been extraordinarily cautious when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines. Many COVID-19 vaccines ship with shelf lives of only 3 to 6 months!

The key takeaway point is that COVID-19 vaccine shelf lives are extraordinarily short. Many healthcare professionals would call them way too short.

 

COVID-19 Vaccine Shelf Life Extension Is Normal

The ultra-short shelf life for COVID-19 vaccines have led to criticism that such excessive caution is leading to wastage.

Even while there is a global shortage of vaccines, many doses had to be disposed when they “expired”, even though they are still safe and effective to use.

The WHO has been urging countries to hold onto those “expired doses” while manufacturers are assessing whether their shelf lives can be extended.

The US FDA also points out that vaccines authorised for emergency use do NOT have fixed expiry dates.

Once new stability studies prove that the vaccine remains stable and effective over time, the expiry date of those vaccines can and will be extended.

I should point out that these extended COVID-19 vaccine shelf lives are still very conservative. Perhaps overly conservative.

In fact, we should expect them to keep getting extended as further stability tests show that they do actually last very long.

 

Which COVID-19 Vaccine Has Extended Shelf Life?

You may be surprised to know this, but the shelf life of many COVID-19 vaccines have extended, sometimes more than once.

So do NOT be alarmed if you are given a dose from a vial with an “expired date“. It does NOT mean that you have been given a “bad vaccine”.

It just means that the vaccine has been proven to last much longer than originally expected.

Pfizer-BioNTech COMIRNATY

The Pfizer-BioNTech COMIRNATY vaccine originally had a 6 month shelf life. That was extended by 3 months, to 9 months on 22 August 2021.

On 16 December 2021, the US FDA also extended shelf life for the COMIRNATY vaccine that uses the Tris buffer to 9 months.

So all existing vaccine doses can be used for an additional 3 months beyond their printed expiry dates, as long as they are stored between -90ºC to -60ºC.

Moderna Spikevax

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine originally had a 7 month shelf life.

On 23 December 2021, both UK MHRA and Health Canada extended its shelf life by 2 months, to 9 months, as long as it is stored between -25ºC to -15ºC.

The US FDA also extended the shelf life of certain lots by 2 months, to 9 months, as long as they are stored between -50ºC to -15ºC.

J&J Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine

The Janssen COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson originally has a 3 month (90-day) shelf life.

The US FDA extended its shelf life to 4.5 months (135 days) on 10 June 2021, and then 6 months (180 days) on 28 July 2021.

All existing vaccine doses can now be used for an additional 1.5 to 3 months (45 to 60 days) beyond their printed expiry dates, as long as they are stored at 2-8ºC.

AstraZeneca Vaxzevria

In May 2021, Health Canada extended the shelf life of about 45,000 AstraZeneca doses by a month, following review of stability data.

It allowed the use of doses with an original expiry date of 31 May 2021, until 1 July 2021.

Otherwise, all AstraZeneca vaccine doses remain with their original shelf life of six months.

Sinovac CoronaVac

The CoronaVac inactivated virus vaccine from Sinovac originally had a 6-month shelf life, which was later extended to 12 months, when it was approved by the WHO.

However, Sinovac appears to give the CoronaVac different shelf lives depending on who’s purchasing their vaccine – 1 year in Malaysia, 2 years in Singapore, and 3 years in Indonesia and Thailand.

Sinopharm BIBP

The Sinopharm BIBP vaccine has a 24-month shelf life, as registered with the WHO. With such a long shelf life, there is no real need for an extension.

CanSino Convidecia

The CanSino Convidecia vaccine has a 24-month shelf life, and remains stable for 60 days at room temperature.

With such a long shelf life, there is no real need for an extension.

SII Covishield

Covishield is a rebranded AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, and has the same original 6 month shelf life.

In March 2021, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) extended its shelf life by 3 additional months, to 9 months.

Bharat Covaxin

Covaxin originally had a shelf life of 6 months, but that was extended to 12 months by the Indian Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation on 3 November 2021.

All existing vaccine doses can now be used for an additional 6 months beyond their printed expiry dates, as long as they are stored at 2-8ºC.

Sputnik V

The Russian vaccine – Sputnik V originally had an incredibly short 2-month shelf life at -18ºC.

The Russian Healthcare Ministry then allowed it to be stored for 2 months at 2-8ºC, before later extending it to 6 months when stored at -18ºC to -22ºC.

 

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Malaysia Approves CanSino Vaccine Booster Dose!

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Malaysia has officially approved the CanSino Convidecia vaccine as a booster dose!

Here is what you need to know!

 

Malaysia Approves CanSino Vaccine Booster Dose!

On 6 January 2022, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) announced that the Drug Control Authority (DCA) has agreed to conditionally approve the CanSino Convidecia vaccine as a booster dose!

  1. Convidecia Recombinant Novel Coronavirus Vaccine (Adenovirus Type 5 Vector)
    Registrant : Solution Biologics Sdn. Bhd.
    Manufacturer : CanSino Biologics Inc, China

The CanSino Convidecia booster dose is now allowed to be given to individuals 18 years and older, after 3 to 6 months from getting the single-dose vaccine.

 

CanSino Convidecia Booster Dose : A Quick Primer

The CanSino Convidecia vaccine works similarly to other viral vector vaccines, like the AstraZeneca AZD1222 and Gamaleya Sputnik V vaccines.

It uses a modified Ad5 virus containing the DNA instructions for the SARS-CoV-2 protein spike, which are then created by your own cells and presented on their surfaces.

These “foreign” protein spikes triggers the body’s immune system, which then makes antigens to target these spikes.

The Convidecia is a single-dose vaccine, so its booster dose is its “second” dose. It works by triggering the immune system a second time, greatly boosting the amount of antibodies.

Recommended : CanSino COVID-19 Vaccine : What You Need To Know!

 

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UPDATED CITF-B Vaccine Booster Dose Recommendations!

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Now that the booster dose programme in Malaysia is open to everyone, what vaccine should YOU use?

Don’t worry – CITF-B just issued their LATEST recommendations on the BEST vaccine booster dose for you!

 

What Vaccine Has Been Approved As Booster Dose By CITF-B?

Currently, only three vaccines have been approved for use as a booster dose by CITF-B (COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force – Booster).

 

Official CITF-B Vaccine Booster Dose Recommendations!

On 24 November 2021, the Ministry of Health announced that the booster dose will be available to anyone above 18, including those who received AstraZeneca, Cansino, Sinopharm and Janssen vaccines.

They also issued the official CITF-B recommendations on the BEST vaccine booster dose for you!

On 28 December 2021, CITF-B issued updated recommendations to address the threat of the Omicron variant.

Quick + Easy Summary

To make it simple for you, this table summarises the updated CITF-B’s booster dose recommendations, based on what COVID-19 vaccine you received earlier :

Primary Series
Vaccine
 Recommended
Booster 		Alternative
Booster
 Timing After
Primary Series
Pfizer Pfizer Moderna After 3 months
AstraZeneca Pfizer AstraZeneca
Sinovac Pfizer AstraZeneca or
Sinovac
Sinopharm Pfizer AstraZeneca or
Sinopharm *
Moderna Moderna Pfizer
CanSino Pfizer CanSino *
Sputnik V Pfizer AstraZeneca
Janssen Pfizer AstraZeneca After 2 months

Pfizer Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Pfizer vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

  • Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
  • Alternative : Moderna booster shot

AstraZeneca Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the AstraZeneca vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

  • Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
  • Alternative : AstraZeneca booster shot

Sinovac Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

  • Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
  • Alternative : AstraZeneca / Sinovac booster shot

If you are not comfortable with the Pfizer vaccine, please consider the AstraZeneca booster shot instead, because it is far superior to the Sinovac booster shot.

Read more : Can You And Should You Get A Sinovac Booster Dose?
Read more : Sinovac Vaccine Efficacy Rapidly Drops After 2 Months!

Sinopharm Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Sinopharm vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

  • Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
  • Alternative : AstraZeneca / Sinopharm booster shot

Note : CITF-B is allowing a third dose of Sinopharm as a booster shot, but it has NOT been approved by the NPRA, and is therefore not available at the moment.

Moderna Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Moderna vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

  • Recommended : Moderna booster shot
  • Alternative : Pfizer booster shot

Sputnik V Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Sputnik V vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after Dose 2.

  • Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
  • Alternative : AstraZeneca booster shot

CanSino Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the CanSino vaccine can receive their booster shot 3 months after vaccination.

  • Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
  • Alternative : CanSino booster shot

Note : CITF-B is allowing a second dose of CanSino as a booster shot, but it has NOT been approved by the NPRA, and is therefore not available at the moment.

Janssen Recipients : What Vaccine Can You Use?

Those who received the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine can receive their booster shot 2 months after vaccination.

  • Recommended : Pfizer booster shot
  • Alternative : AstraZeneca booster shot

Please note that all COVID-19 booster doses provided under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) are provided FREE of charge.

So please watch out for your booster dose appointment in MySejahtera, and get your FREE boost in your protection against COVID-19!

Read more : COVID-19 Booster Dose Policy For Malaysia : 28 Dec Edition!

 

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Malaysia HALVES Booster Dose Interval To Just 3 Months!

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Malaysia just HALVED the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose interval to 3 months!

Here is what you need to know…

 

Malaysia HALVES Booster Dose Interval To Just 3 Months!

The Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) just announced that the existing 6 month booster dose interval is now halved to just 3 months!

Here is a table I created to summarise what they just announced :

Primary Series
Vaccine
 Recommended
Booster 		Alternative
Booster
 Timing After
Primary Series
Pfizer Pfizer Moderna After 3 months
AstraZeneca Pfizer AstraZeneca
Sinovac Pfizer AstraZeneca or
Sinovac
Sinopharm Pfizer AstraZeneca or
Sinopharm *
Moderna Moderna Pfizer
CanSino Pfizer CanSino *
Sputnik V Pfizer AstraZeneca
Janssen Pfizer AstraZeneca After 2 months

* Note : These booster doses are still pending NPRA approval, and are therefore, not available yet.

Read more : Sinovac Booster Dose : Can You Get It? Should You Take It?

 

Who Should Get Booster Dose In Malaysia?

The technical working group also evaluated the latest evidence, and introduced new recommendations for the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.

These individuals are advised to receive a booster dose at least 3 months after their primary vaccination.

  • All senior citizens 60 years and above 
  • All adults 18 years and above who received all types of vaccines (Pfizer, AZ and CoronaVac), using the age de-escalation approach
    – 50 years old and above,
    – 40 years old and above, and
    – 18 years old and above
  • Individuals with co-morbidities
  • Residents and employees at long-term care facilities

 

Why Malaysia Reduced The Booster Dose Interval To 3 Months?

KKM made this decision based on the recent RECoVaM study, which showed the waning protection of COVID-19 vaccines, especially the Sinovac vaccine.

They were also concerned about the latest data on the Omicron variant, which showed greater transmissibility, higher viral binding affinity and higher antibody escape.

Evidence collected over the last 3 weeks showed that a booster dose can increase protection against the Omicron variant. And early research involving 21 million booster doses in the UK showed that they are safe.

In line with those results, regulatory bodies in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia as well as panels of health experts now recommend that the booster dose vaccination should be given as early as three (3) months after completing the primary vaccine.

 

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Fact Check : Top 4 COVID-19 Vaccines Are From China?

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Did the New York Times confirm that the top four COVID-19 vaccines are from China?

Find out what the FACTS really are!

 

Claim : Top 4 COVID-19 Vaccines Are From China

People have been excitedly sharing this amazing news about Chinese vaccines on WhatsApp and Facebook.

It’s a long message, so skip to the next section for the facts…

Covid-19.. Ranking of Vaccines

US accepted the best vaccine is from China.

America’s New York Times reports.

China’s 1-4 best vaccine rankings, while many admired Pfizer ranked sixth.

– The safety rating of vaccines currently injected in Thailand

Sinovac and AZ are 2nd and 5th, while the demanding Pfizer is 6th.

Report by The New York Times on Feb 5, 2021

In the safety ranking, the top four are all Chinese vaccines:

1. Sinopharm (China)
2. Sinovac (China)
3. Kexing (China)
4. Can Sino (China)

5. AstraZeneca (UK)
6. Pfizer (United States and Germany)
7. Modena (United States)
8. Johnson & Johnson (United States)
9. Novavax (United States)
10. Satellite 5 (Russia)

Sinopharm has two vaccines, ranking first and second respectively.

China has exported more than 500 million doses of vaccines to more than 50 countries around the world, and it is estimated that hundreds of millions of people have been vaccinated.

And China’s vaccine accident rate is lower and safer.

As reported by Western media, many wealthy people in Britain fly to the UAE to vaccinate Chinese national medicine.

Choose between Thai polls and American polls.
Thai people believe in things that they haven’t read and studied… often believe in trends.

Importantly, the Chinese vaccine is a lethal vaccine.

It is the same ancient method as the flu vaccine used. No long-term side effects.

Unlike American vaccines that has to wait 10 to 20 years for side effects

Show more
Show less

 

Truth : Top 4 COVID-19 Vaccines Are NOT From China

This is just an updated version of the earlier fake news claiming that Chinese vaccines are the world’s safest.

And here are the reasons why it’s just FAKE NEWS…

Fact #1 : It Was Not An Actual NYT Article

The posts promoted a New York Times link, but it was really just an opinion piece by Achal Prabhala and Chee Yoke Ling – an Indian public health activist and a Malaysian public interest lawyer.

It was NOT an actual article by any New York Times writer or correspondent. Neither was it endorsed by the New York Times.

Fact #2 : NYT Did Not Rank COVID-19 Vaccines

The opinion piece did NOT rank the COVID-19 vaccines, much less claim that the top 4 vaccines are from China.

In fact, it pointed out the conflicting trial results for the CoronaVac vaccine from Sinovac, and noted that “China’s and Russia’s self-serving propaganda campaigns touting their respective vaccines only increased wariness“.

Instead of praising Chinese vaccines as the safest in the world, the two writers were merely asking health authorities to “start trusting other countries’ vaccines“, because there is simply not enough vaccines from Western countries to supply the world.

Read more : Did New York Times Rank Chinese Vaccines As World Safest?

Fact #3 : The New York Times Refuted The Claim

On 10 March 2021, The New York Times published three tweets refuting the false claims.

We are aware of misinformation circulating on WhatsApp, which falsely ranks the safety of worldwide coronavirus vaccines and attributes this list to a report published by The New York Times.

This message is misleading and untrue. The New York Times did not publish this list, our reporting has not suggested that Chinese vaccines are superior to vaccines produced elsewhere, nor have we published claims that China has exported more than 500 million doses.

Our understanding of the effectiveness and safety of vaccines is published in The New York Times Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker. It is evolving, nuanced, and regularly updated to reflect current scientific evidence.

Fact #4 : Chinese Vaccines Have Efficacy Issues

On 24 June 2021, Chinese CDC deputy director Dr. Feng Zijian told the China Central Television that antibodies from two Chinese COVID-19 vaccines are “less effective” against the Delta variant, compared to other strains.

In that interview, he declined to name the two Chinese vaccines, but the Caixin Global report appears to confirm that they are the Sinovac CoronaVac and Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccines.

Sinovac itself appears to be cognisant of this limitation, and have conducting clinical research on a booster dose of their own.

But it appears that the Chinese government is not going to wait, but will instead boost protection against the Delta variant using the Pfizer mRNA vaccine instead.

Read more : China To Offer mRNA Booster Dose For Sinovac + Sinopharm!

Fact #5 : Doses Ordered, Not Delivered

The post claimed that “China has exported more than 500 million doses of vaccines to more than 50 countries around the world, and it is estimated that hundreds of millions of people have been vaccinated.”

The truth is Chinese vaccine manufacturers received ORDERS for about 500 million doses of their vaccines from about 45 countries.

When that post first appeared in February 2021, China was actually a long way from delivering (exporting) those 500 million vaccine doses, and certainly hundreds of millions of people have NOT been vaccinated with Chinese COVID-19 vaccines at that time.

Even China only planned to vaccinate 50 million essential workers by mid-February – less than 4% of its population, even as it exports millions of doses overseas.

Fact #6 : China Purchased 100 Million Doses Of Pfizer Vaccine

Despite the claims of Chinese vaccine superiority and approving FOUR domestically developed and produced vaccines, China also ordered 100 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

As mentioned in Fact #4, the Chinese government is planning to boost protection against the Delta variant using the Pfizer mRNA vaccine, for people vaccinated with their Sinovac or Sinopharm vaccines.

Read more : China To Offer mRNA Booster Dose For Sinovac + Sinopharm!

Fact #7 : Flying For Early Vaccines, Not Chinese Vaccines

While the fake post insinuates that wealthy people in Britain are flying to the UAE for superior Chinese vaccines, the truth is they were offered EARLY ACCESS to COVID-19 vaccines.

Knightsbridge Circle – a private concierge service – had been flying people since January 2021 to the UAE for the Pfizer vaccine, or India for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

In February 2021, they partnered with the UAE to offer the Sinopharm vaccine as a way to “bring tourism into the area”.

This is really about the rich cutting queue and getting early access to COVID-19 vaccines, and not about wealthy UK residents actually believing in the superiority of Chinese vaccines.

Fact #8 : Vaccine Side Effects Do Not Take 10-20 Years To Appear

It is utter nonsense to claim that vaccines can cause side effects 10-20 years later.

Vaccines are merely self-defence classes for our immune system – teaching it how to identify a microbe, so it can learn to make antibodies against it.

Like a self-defence class, a vaccine doesn’t stick around. That’s why sometimes a booster dose (like revision classes) is required.

Any side effects you may experience is your body’s natural reaction to what it believes is the actual virus – this is how the vaccine trains the body to defend itself.

These side effects occur in the first few days of getting the vaccine dose, and do not lay in wait for 10-20 years before appearing.

 

Should You Trust Vaccines Made In China?

Yes, if approved by the health authority of your country, you should trust vaccines made in China.

The Chinese vaccines may have lower efficacy than the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine, but they are still effective at preventing hospitalisations and death.

We need to stop obsessing over efficacy rates because most people don’t understand them.

What we really need to understand is that ALL approved COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to prevent severe or fatal COVID-19 disease.

Just take any approved COVID-19 vaccine, and you will be protected against moderate to severe COVID-19 disease that requires medical treatment.

Recommended : Which COVID-19 Vaccine Should YOU Choose?

 

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KKM Requirements To Accompany Wife During Delivery!

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Malaysia will now allow a fully-vaccinated husband to accompany his wife during delivery in all KKM hospitals!

Here are the official requirements!

Updated @ 2021-10-04 : Added official list of requirements by KKM.
Originally posted @ 2021-09-28

 

Vaccinated Husband Can Accompany Wife During Delivery!

Ever since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was initiated in March of 2020, government hospitals stopped allowing husbands to accompany their wives in the labour rooms.

On 28 September 2021, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin responded to a request by a husband to be allowed to accompany his wife since he is already fully vaccinated.

He requested that the Director of Health Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah allow any fully-vaccinated husband to accompany his wife in the labour room, if he is fully-vaccinated, and undergo a COVID-19 test, with a negative test result.

The test is necessary even if the husband is fully-vaccinated is because he may still be infected with COVID-19, even if he is completely asymptomatic.

Read more : What You Need To Know About COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough!

 

Requirements To Accompany Wife During Delivery!

On 30 September 2021, Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah announced that the husband or a close family member can accompany the wife during her delivery at all public hospitals under KKM.

This initiative kicks off today – on 4 October 2021. However, the husband or close relative must comply with these requirements :

  • Be fully-vaccinated according to this definition :
    – More than 14 days after receiving both doses of the Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Sinovac vaccine.
    – More than 28 days after receiving a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson or Cansino vaccine.
  • Undergo a COVID-19 screening test – either RT-PCR or RTK-Ag – at any health facility or private lab within 72 hours.
    – After testing, the husband / close relative must restrict their movements to avoid infection.
    – The test result must be brought to the hospital, before the husband / close relative can accompany the mother in the Delivery Ward.
  • Alternatively, the husband / close relative purchase a COVID-19 Self Test Kit approved by the Medical Devices Authority (MDA) and bring it to the hospital.
    – The husband / close relative will then use the COVID-19 Self Test Kit at the hospital screening area, while being observed and verified by the attending healthcare worker.

The husband and close relatives of the expectant mother are advised to strictly follow COVID-19 precautions, as pregnant mothers are a high-risk group.

 

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Malaysia Approves CanSino + J&J COVID-19 Vaccines!

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KKM has conditionally approved the CanSino and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines for use in Malaysia!

Find out what this means for the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Malaysia!

 

Malaysia Approves CanSino + J&J COVID-19 Vaccines!

On 15 June 2021, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) announced that both the CanSino and Johnson & Johnson vaccines against COVID1-9 received conditional approval :

  1. Convidecia Recombinant Novel Coronavirus Vaccine (Adenovirus Type 5 Vector)
    Registrant : Solution Biologics Sdn. Bhd.
    Manufacturer : CanSino Biologics Inc, China
  2. Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine
    Registrant : None (under COVAX Facility)
    Manufacturer : NA

Interestingly, both of these are single dose vaccines, which should make for easier and faster COVID-19 vaccinations.

 

CanSino + J&J COVID-19 Vaccines : A Quick Primer

The CanSino Convidecia vaccine works similarly to other viral vector vaccines, like the AstraZeneca AZD1222 and Gamaleya Sputnik V vaccines.

It uses a modified Ad5 virus containing the DNA instructions for the SARS-CoV-2 protein spike, which are then created by your own cells and presented on their surfaces.

These “foreign” protein spikes triggers the body’s immune system, which then makes antigens to target these spikes.

Recommended : CanSino COVID-19 Vaccine : What You Need To Know!

The Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is similar to the CanSino Convidecia vaccine, except it uses a modified Ad26 virus to carry the DNA instructions for the SARS-CoV-2 protein spike.

Once injected, the DNA instructions are used to manufacture the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which is presented on the cell surface to trigger our immune system.

The antibodies they create will attack the real SARS-CoV-2 virus, which would prevent or mitigate an infection.

 

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Why COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy Does NOT Matter!

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The public is obsessed over COVID-19 vaccine efficacy rates, but the truth is – they don’t actually matter!

Find out what COVID-19 vaccine efficacy really mean, and what really MATTERS MORE!

Updated @ 2021-04-17 : Added a new Breakthrough Calculation section, and updated the Vaccine Efficacy section.

Originally posted @ 2021-03-07

 

Vaccine Efficacy vs Effectiveness : What’s The Difference?

Vaccine efficacy is the reduction in disease (in percentage) that occurs in a vaccinated group under optimal conditions, compared to an unvaccinated group.

Do not confuse it with vaccine effectiveness, which is the real world ability of the vaccine to prevent the disease.

Vaccine effectiveness may be lowered by underlying chronic conditions, medication, age, and even how the vaccine is stored and administered.

Recommended : Overview of Vaccine Efficacy and Vaccine Effectiveness (WHO)

 

Vaccine Efficacy : What Does It Mean?

The Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines passed their Phase 3 trials with 94% to 95% efficacy rates, but what does that mean?

The efficacy rate is actually a calculation of the vaccine’s ability to prevent symptomatic COVID-19 infection, based on the clinical trial data and the COVID-19 attack rate.

The public often miss the importance of the COVID-19 attack rate, and therefore misunderstand the vaccine efficacy rate.

For example, in a trial involving 100,000 vaccinated participants and a COVID-19 attack rate of 1%, here is the difference between perception and reality :

Vaccine
Efficacy		 Breakthrough Infections
Perception Reality
95% 5,000 50
90% 10,000 100
85% 15,000 150
80% 20,000 200
75% 25,000 250

While the public look at a 75% efficacy rate and think that it means 25% of those vaccinated will still get infected, the truth is only 0.25% of those vaccinated will get infected, with a 1% attack rate.

This is why we should leave the science to the professionals, and not pretend that a few hours of looking up Google will replace years of actual study and experience.

Recommended : COVID-19 Vaccine : Which Should YOU Choose?

 

Vaccine Efficacy : How To Calculate Breakthrough Rate?

Now, you might expect the breakthrough rate to be calculated simply by deducting the efficacy rate from 100%, like so :

  • 95% vaccine efficacy = 5% breakthrough infections
  • 75% vaccine efficacy = 25% breakthrough infections
  • 50% vaccine efficacy = 50% breakthrough infections

However, the vaccine breakthrough infection rate is actually calculated by this formula :

(100% – Vaccine Efficacy %) x Attack Rate

Because the attack rate for COVID-19 is relatively low at about 1%, the expected breakthrough rate is much lower than you would expect.

Vaccine
Efficacy		 Breakthrough Rate
Perception Reality
95% 5% 0.05%
90% 10% 0.10%
85% 15% 0.15%
80% 20% 0.20%
75% 25% 0.25%

 

Vaccine Efficacy Blinds Us To What Matters More!

The public is obsessed over COVID-19 vaccine efficacy rates, but the truth is – they don’t actually matter!

To be clear, COVID-19 vaccine efficacy is important, just not to us. That’s because it refers to the vaccine’s ability to protect against any symptomatic COVID-19 infection.

Regulatory bodies around the world set a minimum threshold of 50% efficacy against symptomatic infection for the approval of any COVID-19 vaccine.

However, that has confused many people into thinking that the authorities are taking shortcuts in giving us vaccines that barely work.

Come on – 50% efficacy? That’s like rolling the dice at the roulette table, right? That’s really NOT the case.

We prepared this table to show you how misleading efficacy rates are.

COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Against
Symptomatic
Infection 		Severe
Disease		 Death
Pfizer Comirnaty 95.0% 100% 100%
Gamaleya Sputnik V 91.6% 100% 100%
Moderna mRNA-1273 94.1% 100% 100%
AstraZeneca AZD1222 62% ~ 90% 100% 100%
Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV 79% ~ 86% 90% 100%
Sinovac Biotech 50.65% 83.7% 100%
J&J Janssen COVID-19 66.0% 85% 100%
CanSino Biologics 65.7% 90.98% 100%

 

Forget Efficacy, Focus On Severe Disease + Death!

The truth is all approved vaccines will protect you against severe disease, and prevent you from dying from COVID-19.

It would be really nice if you get a vaccine that protects you against even mild COVID-19, but not getting killed by it sounds pretty awesome to us!

Ultimately, whether we decide to get vaccinated should NOT depend on the vaccine’s efficacy, but its ability to protect us against severe disease or death.

Irrespective of what vaccine you receive, the table shows that they will protect you against DEATH and greatly protect you against severe COVID-19 disease.

So, instead of arguing over which COVID-19 vaccine is better, and demanding the right to choose, just take the FIRST vaccine you can get, and COMPLETE it!

Think of the COVID-19 vaccine as body armour. When you are in a firefight, do you really want to wait until you find the body armour you prefer, or would you rather wear the first one you come across?

No matter how “pathetic” or “ratty” the first body armour you find “looks” to you, it will definitely protect you better than a plain t-shirt, won’t it?

So take the first COVID-19 vaccine you are offered, and complete it. It will protect you against death and severe COVID-19 disease!

 

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Which COVID-19 Vaccine Should YOU Choose?

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Now that there are several COVID-19 vaccine options, people are demanding for the right to choose.

But should you be given the option to choose, which COVID-19 vaccine should you choose?

2021-04-13 : Updated with new information.

Originally posted @ 2021-03-02

 

COVID-19 Vaccine : So Many To Choose From?

Several COVID-19 vaccine candidates successfully completed their Phase 3 trials, and have received EUA (Emergency Use Authorisation) from various countries.

Company Brand Name Other Name EUA Full
Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty BNT162b2 101 5
Oxford-AstraZeneca AZD1222 101 1
Gamaleya Research
Institute		 Sputnik V Gam-COVID-Vac 60 3
Moderna mRNA-1273 40 2
Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 Ad26.COV2.S 40 0
Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV 38 4
Sinovac Biotech CoronaVac 27 1
CanSino Biologics Convidecia Ad5-nCoV 5 1

Many countries ordered several vaccine candidates at the same time, because a single vaccine manufacturer cannot possibly provide enough vaccines to cover an entire population.

Malaysia, for instance, purchased five COVID-19 vaccine candidates :

However, with multiple COVID-19 vaccine types being deployed, it has given people the idea that they should have the right to pick and choose the vaccine.

So which should YOU choose?

 

COVID-19 Vaccine : Which Should YOU Choose?

Most countries will provide the COVID-19 vaccines FREE of charge, but the type of vaccine used will depend on what’s available – you are NOT allowed to pick and choose.

Even so, many people are demanding the right to pick and choose their COVID-19 vaccine. Some are demanding the right to pay for what they believe are the ‘superior’ vaccine.

But guess what…

The BEST vaccine you can take is the FIRST vaccine you can get, and COMPLETE.

Here are the reasons why…

Reason #1 : Early Protection Offers The Best Protection

Think of the COVID-19 pandemic as an alien invasion, and the vaccine as body armour that protects you against their attacks.

When you are under attack, do you put on the first body armour you find, or do you wait until you find the body armour you like the best?

Cpl. Daniel M. Greenwald survived this sniper shot thanks to his helmet!

The fact is – even “substandard” body armour will offer you FAR MORE protection than no body armour at all!

After all, you could end up getting killed by COVID-19, before your preferred body armour arrives. What’s the point of getting the vaccine you want if you are already infected or dead?

Don’t believe us? A team of scientists actually did a study on this, concluding that “waiting for a vaccine with a higher efficacy results in additional hospitalizations and costs over the course of the pandemic“.

Reason #2 : All Approved Vaccines Protect You Against Severe Disease + Death

Regulatory bodies around the world set a minimum threshold of 50% efficacy against symptomatic infection for the approval of any COVID-19 vaccine.

However, that has confused people into thinking that the authorities are taking shortcuts in giving us vaccines that barely work.

Come on – 50% efficacy? That’s like rolling the dice at the roulette table, right? That’s really NOT the case.

We prepared this table to show you how misleading efficacy rates are.

Recommended : Why COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy Does NOT Matter!

COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Against
Symptomatic
Infection 		Severe
Disease		 Death
Pfizer Comirnaty 95.0% 100% 100%
Moderna mRNA-1273 94.1% 100% 100%
Gamaleya Sputnik V 91.6% 100% 100%
AstraZeneca AZD1222 76% ~ 85% 100% 100%
Novavax Covovax 60 ~ 89% 100% 100%
CanSino Convidecia 65.7% 90.98% 100%
Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV 79% ~ 86% 90% 100%
J&J Janssen COVID-19 66.0% 85% 100%
Sinovac CoronaVac 50.65% 83.7% 100%

The truth is all approved vaccines will protect you against severe disease, and prevent you from dying from COVID-19.

It would be really nice if you get a vaccine that protects you against even mild COVID-19, but not getting killed by it sounds pretty awesome to us!

Reason #3 : Vaccines Are In Limited Supply

COVID-19 vaccines are in limited supply, and there does not appear to be enough to vaccinate most countries until well into 2022.

Therefore, the possibility of vaccines being made available for private sale that you can pick and choose is remote, at least until 2022.

This is a pandemic – a global health crisis. The lives of trillions of people around the world come before your “right to choose”.

 

COVID-19 Vaccine : Don’t Choose. Get Yours ASAP!

It really does NOT matter which COVID-19 vaccine you get.

As long as it is an approved vaccine and you complete the dosing requirement, it will prevent you from getting severe COVID-19, or dying from it.

Instead of waiting for a particular COVID-19 vaccine, get the first one offered to you.

Don’t worry, when COVID-19 vaccines are available for sale, you can choose whichever vaccine you want and re-vaccinate yourself to your heart’s content!

 

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Chinese Vaccine Efficacy Not High? What Are The Facts?

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Did Chinese CDC director, Gao Fu, admit that Chinese vaccine efficacy is “not high”?

Find out what’s the latest controversy surrounding Chinese vaccines, and what the FACTS really are!

 

Chinese CDC Director : Vaccine Efficacy Not High

On 10 April 2021, Gao Fu – the director of the Chinese Centres for Disease Control and Prevention – gave a talk on the Chinese COVID-19 vaccines at a conference in Chengdu, China.

He said that “the protection rates of existing vaccines are not high“, and suggested several options to improve their efficacy :

  • increasing the number of doses
  • adjusting the dosage
  • adjusting the interval between doses
  • mixing different vaccines

When that was picked up by International media, he told Chinese state media, Global Times, that his admission that Chinese vaccines had poor protection was “a complete misunderstanding“.

 

Chinese Vaccine Efficacy : The Current Facts

Now, let’s examine what we currently know about Chinese vaccine efficacy against COVID-19.

Fact #1 : Chinese Vaccines Are Mostly Comparable

Sinophiles and Chinese state media often claim that Chinese vaccines are superior, while Sinophobes insist that Chinese vaccines are junk.

The truth is – Chinese vaccines are far from the best, but are mostly comparable with Western vaccines that use older inactivated or viral vector technologies.

The outlier is CoronaVac from Sinovac Biologics, which barely made it past the 50% minimum efficacy line.

COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy
Pfizer Comirnaty 95.0%
Moderna mRNA-1273 94.1%
Gamaleya Sputnik V 91.6%
Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV 79% ~ 86%
AstraZeneca AZD1222 76% ~ 85%
Novavax Covovax 60 ~ 89%
J&J Janssen COVID-19 66.0%
CanSino Convidecia 65.7%
Sinovac CoronaVac 50.65%

Fact #2 : Efficacy Blinds People To What’s Really Important

The public is obsessed over COVID-19 vaccine efficacy rates, but they are blind to what’s really important – protection against severe disease and death!

As this table shows, efficacy rates don’t tell the full story. The truth is that all these vaccines will protect you against severe disease, and prevent you from dying from COVID-19!

Even the worst Chinese vaccine in this table – the CoronaVac – has strong protection against severe disease, and completely protects against death!

Recommended : Why COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy Does NOT Matter!

COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Against
Symptomatic
Infection 		Severe
Disease		 Death
Pfizer Comirnaty 95.0% 100% 100%
Moderna mRNA-1273 94.1% 100% 100%
Gamaleya Sputnik V 91.6% 100% 100%
AstraZeneca AZD1222 76% ~ 85% 100% 100%
Novavax Covovax 60 ~ 89% 100% 100%
CanSino Convidecia 65.7% 90.98% 100%
Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV 79% ~ 86% 90% 100%
J&J Janssen COVID-19 66.0% 85% 100%
Sinovac CoronaVac 50.65% 83.7% 100%

Fact #3 : Vaccine Efficacy Varies Against Virus Strains

All these COVID-19 vaccines are designed to target the original virus strain, whose genetic code was sequenced and released by Chinese scientists on 12 January 2020.

However, since then, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread globally and infected over 136 million people as of 12 April 2021.

Each infection represents an opportunity for the virus to mutate into new variants, some of which have changed behaviour or capability – creating a new strain.

Credit : The Conversation

Each new strain that develops has a chance to become more infectious, more lethal, and reduce the effectiveness of current vaccines.

That’s what Gao Fu is most likely referring to, and is a genuine concern for health authorities and vaccine manufacturers.

That’s why it is so important to quickly vaccinate people – so herd immunity can be achieved before a resistant strain develops!

Recommended : Which COVID-19 Vaccine Should YOU Choose?

Fact #4 : “Improved” Vaccines Are Being Developed

New strains may have new physical characteristics that allow them to evade the immune system of people vaccinated against the original strain.

So new, “improved” vaccines are being developed to target these new strains that are becoming more prevalent.

They are not actually “better” than current vaccines – they have just been modified to take into account the changes in the new strains.

What Gao Fu suggested in the conference are alternative methods to improving vaccine efficacy without developing an improved vaccine.

  • increasing the number of doses
  • adjusting the dosage
  • adjusting the interval between doses
  • mixing different vaccines

This would, arguably, allow for faster deployment since the Chinese can make use of their existing vaccines, and skip the development of an improved vaccine.

Such changes in vaccine protocol would, of course, require testing to establish their (improved) efficacy against the new variants / strains.

Fact #5 : Chinese Lack Of Transparency Is The Issue

The big problem with Chinese vaccines is not that they are less efficacious. The problem is that the Chinese have not been transparent about their vaccines.

Even though they were amongst the first to begin testing in 2020, they only released the RESULTS of their trials in press releases, refusing to release the actual data.

Only at the end of March 2021 did Sinopharm and Sinovac release data to the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE).

As of 12 April 2021, not a single Chinese manufacturer has publicly published the trial data for their vaccine.

All this eats into public confidence over Chinese vaccines. Why won’t any Chinese manufacturer release the trial data for their vaccine?

After all, all approved Western and Russian vaccines have publicly done so – Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and even Gamaleya.

 

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Thank you in advanced! ❤️

 

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Malaysia Buys 3.5 Million CanSino COVID-19 Vaccine Doses!

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Malaysia just purchased 3.5 million doses of the CanSino Convidecia vaccine against COVID-19!

Get the details of this new vaccine deal, and find out what it means for the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Malaysia!

 

Malaysia Buys 3.5 Million Doses Of CanSino COVID-19 Vaccine!

On 1 April 2021, the Malaysia Minister of Health, Dr. Adham Baba, announced the purchase of 3.5 million doses of the CanSino COVID-19 vaccine.

This deal will be divided into two stages :

  • 500,000 finished doses, starting in April 2021
  • 3 million doses to be filled and finished by Solutions Biologics Sdn. Bhd. (SolBio)

Photo Credit : Bernama

 

CanSino COVID-19 Vaccine : Where Will It Be Used In Malaysia?

The CanSino Convidecia is a single-dose vaccine, so the 3.5 million doses will be enough to vaccinate 10.9% of the adult population in Malaysia.

It also requires only standard refrigeration at 2–8 °C (36–46 °F), which makes it easy to distribute.

Therefore, the Malaysia Ministry of Health plans to use the CanSino vaccine in rural areas, and areas where recipients find it difficult to come twice for their vaccinations.

They are also planning to use it to vaccinate foreigners in Malaysia.

Recommended : CanSino COVID-19 Vaccine : What You Need To Know!

 

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CanSino COVID-19 Vaccine : What You Need To Know!

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China recently approved the CanSino Convidecia vaccine for general use, and several countries around the world have purchased it.

In this article, we will answer your frequently asked questions about this Chinese-made vaccine!

Find out how the Convidecia vaccine works, and how effective it really is against COVID-19!

 

CanSino Convidecia Vaccine : What Is It?

Developed by CanSino Biologics, Convidecia is a viral vector vaccine, that uses a modified Ad5 virus to deliver the blueprint for the SARS-CoV-2 protein spike.

Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines, CoronaVac only needs to be refrigerated at 2–8 °C (36–46 °F), which makes it easy to distribute.

In addition, it only requires a single dose, which makes it easier to fully vaccinate large populations

On 25 February 2021, China approved the Convedicia vaccine for general use.

 

CanSino Convidecia Vaccine : How Does It Work?

The CanSino Convidecia vaccine works similarly to other viral vector vaccines, like the AstraZeneca AZD1222 and Gamaleya Sputnik V vaccines.

It uses a modified Ad5 virus containing the DNA instructions for the protein spikes of the SARS-CoV-2.

Once injected, the Ad5 virus introduces the SARS-CoV-2 protein spike DNA to the cell nucleus, where it is decoded to create the mRNA instructions.

Then, just like the mRNA vaccines, the cell’s ribosomes use those mRNA instructions to manufacture the SARS-CoV-2 protein spikes, which are then presented on the cell surface.

These “foreign” protein spikes triggers the body’s immune system, which then makes antigens to target these spikes.

 

CanSino Convidecia Vaccine : What Are Its Side Effects?

According to its Phase 1 trial results, volunteers reported only these side effects :

  • injection site pain
  • mild to severe fever (up to grade 3)
  • headache
  • mild to severe fatigue (up to grade 3)
  • muscle and joint pain
  • throat pain and cough

However, they were generally well-tolerated, with no incidences of hypersensitivity to the vaccine.

 

CanSino Convidecia Vaccine : How Effective Is It?

Unfortunately, there have been no publicly released trial data on the CanSino vaccine’s efficacy. Only what they chose to release in their press statements.

According to CanSino Biologics, here is the efficacy of the Convidecia vaccine in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 disease :

  • 2 weeks after vaccination : 68.83% efficacy
  • 4 weeks after vaccination : 65.28% efficacy

 

CanSino Convidecia Vaccine : Should You Take It?

Yes, if approved by the health authority of your country, you should take it.

The CanSino vaccine may have lower efficacy than the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine, but it is still an effective vaccine.

The key thing you should note is that it has been proven to prevent severe or fatal COVID-19 disease.

And it offers about 91% protection against moderate to severe COVID-19 disease that requires medical treatment.

Recommended : COVID-19 Vaccine : Which Should YOU Choose?

 

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