Chinese COVID vaccine offers poor protection to elderly: study

China made Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine produces less antibodies among the elderly, raising questions for dozens of countries that have given the Chinese company’s shots to their most vulnerable populations. According to a new study, by two Hungarian researchers, said on Monday that 450 people were given two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine and blood samples were taken two weeks after the second dose had been administered. Accounting for age, sex and time since the second dose was administered, the researchers noted that the timing and sex had little association with antibody concentration. 

They noted that age became a relevant factor. The study found that in people younger than 50, protective antibodies were found in 90 percent of individuals. The study noted that antibody level production decreased. “A large number of elderly subjects, reaching 25% at 60 years, and up to 50% at ages over 80, were found not to produce any protective antibody,” according to the study. “This is very, very worrying that these people, who are high-risk, have a poor antibody response,” said Jin Dong-yan, a Hong Kong University virologist who was not affiliated with the study. China’s National Health Commission declined to comment on the study, saying it would only respond to studies by governments or major research institutions.