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Turkish University study: Sinovac vaccine boosts immunity 99% after two doses

Turkish University study: Sinovac vaccine boosts immunity 99% after two doses

A study by Celal Bayar University in the western province of Manisa proved that CoronaVac, an inactivated virus vaccine developed by the Chinese company Sinovac, boosts immunity by 99%. The study, however, shows that the antibody response is higher when two doses of the vaccine are administered.

CoronaVac was the first vaccine to be administered in Turkey, starting in January. It still occupies most of the current vaccination program, which was diversified with the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine last week.

The university study is the most comprehensive of its kind regarding the vaccine in Turkey, according to the scientists behind it. The researchers performed quantitative and qualitative tests on antibodies to the binders between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and the receptor binding domain (RB). Between January 11 and March 18, researchers conducted tests on 1,053 people without SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. All were health care workers who were given priority in the country’s vaccination campaign.

Professor Sinem Akçalı, one of the researchers, said they wanted to see how long antibody levels prevailed among vaccinated healthcare workers. Şebnem Şenlo Akar, another researcher, said all participants had no history of coronavirus and negative antibodies. "After the first dose, the antibody generation rate was 25%, but it increased to over 97% (99% for women) after the second dose," she told a news conference.

She added, however, that more studies are needed to be sure if gender played a role in vaccine efficacy. "But it is safe to say that a second dose is definitely needed to provide protection through vaccines," she said. Akar said high levels of antibodies do not mean the vaccine provides 100% protection and people should adhere to safeguards even after vaccination.

The study also found a very low rate of side effects among vaccinated. The rate of people suffering from mild side effects like pain at the vaccine site and a headache was below 25%. "Serious side effects were below 1%," the researchers said. / Daily Sabah -

* Received from Bota.al