Phuket study confirms Sinovac vaccine offers 80% protection

A study on the southern island of Phuket indicates that inoculation with the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine reduces the chance of contracting the virus by more than 83%. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit from the Public Health Ministry says around 22% of the island’s population has now received both doses of the Sinovac vaccine, with 45% having received the first dose.

According to a Nation Thailand report, Kiattiphum says a study of vaccinated people in the “high-risk” category, who came into close contact with Covid-19 patients, confirms the drop in transmission risk.

“We studied 1,366 people in the high-risk group who had close contact with confirmed patients in Phuket. We found that the chance of contracting the virus had dropped by 73.1% among those who had their first jab and by 83.3% among those who got both jabs.”

Kiattiphum adds that out of 31 Covid-19 patients who had received the first dose of Sinovac, only 4 went on to develop pneumonia. 6 patients who had received both doses of Sinovac showed no signs of pneumonia. The medic points to the fact that there have been no new infections reported in Phuket residents who’ve received both doses of the vaccine.

“Also, since the start of May, Phuket has seen no new patients among those who have received both doses of Sinovac. This proves that Sinovac is effective in preventing the transmission of the virus and reducing the chance of developing severe symptoms.”

Despite this, he adds that the advice to wear face masks in public, maintain social distancing, and wash hands frequently still remains.

Phuket is gearing up for a July 1 re-opening which will see quarantine waived for fully vaccinated tourists. The island has its work cut out for it however, as the “sandbox” scheme requires 70% of the population to be vaccinated before then. All eyes will be on how Phuket fares, as other tourist destinations, such as Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phang Nga, and Surat Thani aim to follow suit.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand