This archive report was first published on 24 May 2020.
On May 22, 2020, a new study was published in The Lancet medical journal, revealing the first phase results of a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine.
The vaccine, which is one of over 100 being developed globally, has shown a positive immune response in most patients, but not all. However, officials have noted that it has side effects and has not provided impressive results due to safety concerns.
According to the study, the vaccine's safety issues have been prioritized, but this has come at the cost of its effectiveness. As one expert noted, 'Unless they can make it more tolerable, I can't see how it's going to be a major player.'
Another expert, Paul Offit, director of the vaccine education center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, stated, 'Given that there was a safety issue, given that many patients didn’t have high [levels of] neutralizing antibodies, I would say this is a singularly unimpressive study.'
Despite these concerns, the study only covered 28 days of injection, and final results are expected to be released after six months.
