Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang (left) shakes hands with Hossam Zaki, the Arab League’s assistant secretary-general, during the reception ceremony for the Chinese COVID-19 vaccines on March 4 in Cairo, Egypt. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
China’s COVID-19 vaccines have come a long way in the Middle East, from getting the first nods for emergency use to recently topping a poll as the vaccine of choice, and scoring another high on efficacy rates.
An online survey by data analytics firm YouGov has indicated that over 80 percent of people who had been vaccinated against the coronavirus in the United Arab Emirates had opted for the Sinopharm vaccine.
In the survey — commissioned by G42 Healthcare, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based technology company Group 42 — 76 percent of the respondents said they believe the COVID-19 vaccines will bring life back to normal in a year.
The UAE had on Dec 9 approved China’s Sinopharm anti-coronavirus shots, after declaring an 86 percent efficacy rate for the jabs.
The YouGov-G42 survey, conducted in January to determine people’s perceptions, expectations and considerations in relation to COVID-19 vaccines, found that safety and efficacy were the main factors that influenced decisions.
A total of 1,011 people were polled.
Turkish researchers announced last week that the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech had an efficacy of 83.5 percent, based on phase III trials.
The results unveiled by Ankara’s Hacettepe University came after 10,216 participants aged 18-59, 3,568 of whom had received a placebo, took part of the trials that began in Turkey in mid-September.
China has been fulfilling its promise to share its vaccines with other countries. On March 4, a batch of Sinopharm vaccines were delivered to the Arab League general secretariat in Cairo.
China earlier sent two batches of medical supplies to the pan-Arab organization.
“This is a vivid interpretation of the China-Arab community of health and wellness, and it marks another solid step toward building a China-Arab community with a shared future,” Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang said.
The vaccine-related cooperation is progressing smoothly between China and Arab states including the UAE, Egypt and Morocco.
Arab League’s Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki, who received the vaccines in Cairo, said China’s medical assistance to the pan-Arab body “will effectively enhance the anti-epidemic capabilities of the Arab world”.
“Chinese vaccines position China as a global healthcare leader and innovator alongside the likes of the US and Europe,” said Michael Stanat, vice-president of global operations at SIS International Research, a consulting firm headquartered in New York.
“As shortages in Western vaccines are currently common, Chinese vaccines can be a game-changer,” said Stanat, adding that the UAE survey suggests aggressive and comprehensive social healthcare policy and well-functioning vaccination programs “can boost economic optimism”.
For Martin Lush, global vice-president at NSF International, a US-based public health and safety organization, it all depends on what people define as “back to normal”.
He said global elimination of the virus will not happen and that we “must learn to live with it, just like we do (with) flu”.
“On the more positive side, let’s hope certain improvements stick. Better investment in vaccine science and manufacturing capacity; improved surveillance systems for all infectious diseases; appropriate investment in healthcare, etc,” Lush said.
The poll revealed that safety remained the top determinant when opting for a vaccine, with 52 percent of respondents citing safety and efficacy. This was followed by lack of major side effects at 50 percent.
As of March 8, the UAE has administered 6,287,751 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with a distribution rate of 63.57 doses per 100 people.
It is not known what percentage of that was covered by the Sinopharm vaccine, given that Pfizer-BioNtech, Sputnik V and Oxford-AstraZeneca jabs are also available in the UAE.
On Feb 23, the UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority tweeted that authorities had noticed a decrease in registered COVID-19 cases.
“We confirm the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines that were approved in the country, especially for the elderly and people with chronic diseases, so we advise and encourage everyone to take the vaccine, as it is our safe way to recovery,” it said.
Additional reporting by Xinhua.
