RIO DE JANEIRO – A coronavirus vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac showed “general efficacy” of 50.4 percent in a late-stage trial in Brazil, the company’s local partners said on Tuesday, revealing a more modest figure after pressure for more transparency.
On Thursday, the Brazilian researchers had celebrated results showing 78 percent efficacy against mild COVID-19 cases, a rate they have since described as “clinical efficacy.”
Ricardo Palacios, medical director for clinical research at the Butantan biomedical center in Sao Paulo, said the new figure included infections classified as “very mild” because they did not require clinical assistance.
Researchers at Butantan delayed the announcement of their results three times, blaming a confidentiality clause in a contract with Sinovac. (Reuters)
