U.A.E. Giving Third Shot of Sinopharm Vaccine to Some
Doctors say in some cases, Chinese shot isn’t generating adequate antibody response
DUBAI—Health authorities in the United Arab Emirates have begun administering a third dose of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine to at least some residents, as doctors say the Chinese-made shots in some cases haven’t generated enough protective antibodies.
The U.A.E. has served as one of the primary testing grounds for the vaccine, which is manufactured by a Chinese state-owned pharmaceutical company and is a mainstay of the Gulf monarchy’s rapid immunization campaign. The vaccine is also used in Hungary, Serbia, Pakistan and elsewhere.
G42 Healthcare, the company that coordinated Sinopharm’s Phase 3 clinical trials in the U.A.E. and elsewhere in the Middle East said a “select group of people are being administered a third shot to observe the immune system response” as part of a scientific study.
It declined to say how many people are affected and why, referring reporters to the U.A.E. health authorities, who didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment.
Dr. Farida al Hosani, a U.A.E. government spokeswoman on health affairs, was quoted by the Abu Dhabi newspaper The National as saying that “some people” had received a third booster shot. “The number is very minimal” compared to the number who received first and second doses.
Dr. al Hosani couldn’t be reached for comment. The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, which oversees the coronavirus response in the U.A.E. and the Abu Dhabi government’s media office didn’t reply to requests for comment. Neither did Sinopharm.
The Wall Street Journal spoke with eight people in Abu Dhabi, capital of the U.A.E., who said they had been called by public health services in recent weeks to come in for a third vaccine and received the injections. All were employees or contractors of U.A.E. government entities.
All eight people also said they were not participating in any scientific study, nor were they tested for antibodies.
“I was not given any reason or explanation when I was called,” one of the people said. “I was just told to show up for a booster shot.”
Dr. Nawal al Kaabi, the principal investigator for the Sinopharm vaccine trial at SEHA, the Abu Dhabi emirate’s healthcare provider, said in a short message reply to a query about the third doses: “It’s not formal! And not done routinely.”
Two doctors in the U.A.E. said some Sinopharm recipients among their patients and colleagues have shown little or no antibody response after the second dose. It isn’t clear to what extent antibody tests measure the immune system’s entire response to the vaccine.
In December, U.A.E. health officials at a closed-door presentation to government companies warned that a third booster shot of the Sinopharm vaccine could be required for those who don’t develop an adequate antibody response from two shots, according to people present.
www.wsj.com
Doctors say in some cases, Chinese shot isn’t generating adequate antibody response
DUBAI—Health authorities in the United Arab Emirates have begun administering a third dose of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine to at least some residents, as doctors say the Chinese-made shots in some cases haven’t generated enough protective antibodies.
The U.A.E. has served as one of the primary testing grounds for the vaccine, which is manufactured by a Chinese state-owned pharmaceutical company and is a mainstay of the Gulf monarchy’s rapid immunization campaign. The vaccine is also used in Hungary, Serbia, Pakistan and elsewhere.
G42 Healthcare, the company that coordinated Sinopharm’s Phase 3 clinical trials in the U.A.E. and elsewhere in the Middle East said a “select group of people are being administered a third shot to observe the immune system response” as part of a scientific study.
It declined to say how many people are affected and why, referring reporters to the U.A.E. health authorities, who didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment.
Dr. Farida al Hosani, a U.A.E. government spokeswoman on health affairs, was quoted by the Abu Dhabi newspaper The National as saying that “some people” had received a third booster shot. “The number is very minimal” compared to the number who received first and second doses.
Dr. al Hosani couldn’t be reached for comment. The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, which oversees the coronavirus response in the U.A.E. and the Abu Dhabi government’s media office didn’t reply to requests for comment. Neither did Sinopharm.
The Wall Street Journal spoke with eight people in Abu Dhabi, capital of the U.A.E., who said they had been called by public health services in recent weeks to come in for a third vaccine and received the injections. All were employees or contractors of U.A.E. government entities.
All eight people also said they were not participating in any scientific study, nor were they tested for antibodies.
“I was not given any reason or explanation when I was called,” one of the people said. “I was just told to show up for a booster shot.”
Dr. Nawal al Kaabi, the principal investigator for the Sinopharm vaccine trial at SEHA, the Abu Dhabi emirate’s healthcare provider, said in a short message reply to a query about the third doses: “It’s not formal! And not done routinely.”
Two doctors in the U.A.E. said some Sinopharm recipients among their patients and colleagues have shown little or no antibody response after the second dose. It isn’t clear to what extent antibody tests measure the immune system’s entire response to the vaccine.
In December, U.A.E. health officials at a closed-door presentation to government companies warned that a third booster shot of the Sinopharm vaccine could be required for those who don’t develop an adequate antibody response from two shots, according to people present.
Early Adopter U.A.E. Starts Giving Third Dose of Sinopharm Vaccine Amid Efficacy Concerns
Health authorities in the United Arab Emirates have begun administering a third dose of the Chinese-made shots after doctors said some recipients haven’t generated enough protective antibodies.
www.wsj.com
