Sinopharm and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are among the numerous vaccines promising immunity from the pandemic. And now that said vaccines have been developed and would be delivered to the public, it is essential for people to understand the benefits of getting vaccinated.
But which between Sinopharm and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines is better and more effective.
In late January, Channel News Asia came out with a report saying that in the Middle East, as well as in North Africa, vaccine orders for COVID-19 are brought by subtle and logistical deliberations reflecting the growing regional impact of Beijing.
In the past couple of days, Israel's government made documents public showing the extent of its collaboration with the American pharmaceutical firm Pfizer. To date, it already has over a quarter of its nine million citizens vaccinated.
Other nations in the Middle East, which include Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are also depending heavily on the vaccine from Pfizer, which the US firm developed in partnership with German drug company BioNTech.
The Two COVID-19 Vaccines
The CNA report said that the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, and Iraq, on the other hand, have placed orders of the COVID-19 vaccines from both Pfizer and Sinopharm. The Chinese vaccine is now believed to be totally safe by the UAE.
But between the two vaccines, which one should people get for their vaccination?
The Sinopharm Vaccine
The UAE, together with Bahrain, were the two of the Arab nations to authorize the Sinopharm shot. They were also the first to grant full approval to use a vaccine for COVID-19. Other nations followed suit.
This vaccine shot called BBIBP-CorV is produced by the China National Biotec Group or CNBG of Sinopharm, a Chinese state-owned biotech firm based in Beijing.
In September last year, Reuters reported that Phase III trials for BBIBP-CorV shot had been conducted in 10 countries all over the world. The Sinopharm vaccine has been approved in China, and many other nations including the UAE.
The Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine
The government of Dubai has launched a free vaccination campaign after approval of the UAE for the COVID-19 vaccine Pfizer-BioNTech developed.
According to the Gulf News, this vaccine has received approval for emergency use from regulators of the UK, US, Canada, and many other countries.
During the trials for Pfizer-BionTech vaccine trials, it was found to be roughly 95-percent effective in the prevention of COVID-19.
Essentially, the active ingredient in Pfizer is mRNA or messenger Ribonucleic Acid which activates the production of protein that exists on the spies of SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
95 Percent Versus 85 Percent Effective
Late last year, evidence showed that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine could succeed in preventing the contagion and making it less severe.
The data, according to DrFive.com, is based on more than 36,000 participants, where over 18,198 were given the vaccine and about 18,325 were given placebo.
The vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech was found to be 95-percent effective when it comes to preventing the virus among the said clinical trial volunteers.
As far as the Sinopharm vaccine is concerned, the UAE has been conducting Phase III of its clinical trial for COVID-19 under strict amenability to the guidelines which the World Health Organization and the Food and Drug Administration had laid out.
This particular trial is based on more than 30,000 vaccinated participants from over 120 nationalities. As a result, according to the UAE Ministry of Health, the Sinopharm vaccine came out 86-percent effective when it comes to preventing the COVID-19 infection.
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