(REUTERS)
MANILA, Philippines — Sinovac’s vaccine, according to a recent study, gives children “mild or modest” protection against COVID-19 variants, a pediatric infectious disease specialist said Thursday.
“So, merong (there is a) mild or modest protection against [Omicron and Delta] variants,” Dr. Ma. Liza Antoinette Gonzales said in a virtual forum.
The study assessed the safety and immune response of both humoral and cellular immunity against virus variants in healthy children and adolescents in Chile.
The data was collected from 963 Chilean children aged three to 17 who were inoculated with Sinovac’s vaccine in a four-week interval.
The Food and Drug Administration earlier allowed the use of Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six and above.
“Ang ginamit nila pseudovirus neutralization assay, so laboratory pa lang. Hindi pa talaga natin alam how it will do in the real world. But, at least we know na meron both neutralizing antibodies as well as T-cell responses against these two variants,” Gonzales pointed out.
(What they used is a pseudovirus neutralization assay, so it’s just a laboratory method. We do not know yet how it will do in the real world. But, at least we know that there are both neutralizing antibodies as well as T-cell responses against these two variants.)
Gonzales said that further studies are needed to conclude that they are effective against COVID-19 variants.
Sinovac formulation, dosage
Meanwhile, Dr. Nina Gloriani, Vaccine Expert Panel-Technical Working Group for COVID-19 Vaccines and Development chairperson, explainedwhy there is no difference in the formulation and dosage of Sinovac’s vaccine for adults and children.
“Mas mataas ‘yung immune response doon sa higher dose that is why ‘yan ‘yung higher dose that is actually being given to the adults… Lower than that, wala kang protection,” she said.
(There is a higher immune response with the higher dose that is why the higher dose tis what’s given to adults, a lower dose will not offer any protection.)
Sinovac’s vaccine is administered in two doses, 0.5 milliliters each, 28 days apart.
In comparison, Pfizer’s vaccine for children aged five to 11 is reformulated.