Covid-19 Experimental Vaccine Hopes Are Increased


A Chinese state-owned enterprise, Sinopharm, published results in the Lancet that suggest the jab they developed is safe and can produce an immune response.

600 healthy adults were given Sinopharm’s jab, dubbed BBIBP, and none suffered an adverse reaction. Every volunteer given a double-dose of Sinopharm’s vaccine made antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

It was an inactivated vaccine, meaning it contains the virus but it has been grown in a laboratory and then killed, so it is not infectious.  

Inactivated vaccines are well known and have been used against diseases such as influenza, measles and rabies. But they usually don’t provide immunity that’s as strong as live vaccines, so several doses over time may be necessary.

Adults over the age of 60 took a longer time to mount immunity, according to the results of the study, carried out by Beijing Institute of Biological Products.

But all volunteers had antibodies — proteins of the immune system which fight infection — seven weeks after injection compared with four in those under 60 years old.

This is not unusual because the immune system slows with ageing, meaning it takes longer for older people to respond to a vaccine or illness. It is also seen for influenza vaccines.

However, the paper also noted that it’s results do not mean we are in the clear yet because there is still must to be learned about protective immunity induced by vaccines and the maintenance of immunity against this virus. 

In theory, this vaccine would protect the patient from catching the virus again in the future, or at least protect them from developing a severe bout of the disease. But this has not been proven by the scientists yet — they only injected fewer than 1,000 participants.

Oxford University’s experimental jab is considered the front-runner but Downing St has also bought supplies of 340million different vaccines, in a spread-betting approach to ensure the UK doesn’t miss out on any scientific breakthrough. 

Read more


Featured content.

Can You Use Glycolic Acid Everyday?

It is generally not recommended to use glycolic acid every day, as it can be irritating to the skin. It is typically used once or twice a week. However, the frequency of use may vary depending on the concentration of the glycolic acid and the specific product that you are using. It is important to…

Keep reading

Niacinamide Vs Hyaluronic Acid

If you’ve followed Science and Skincare for any amount of time, you’ll be aware of my posts on acids. Niacinamide vs Hyaluronic Acid will be the highly requested addition to the category that made this site popular. Depending on your skincare knowledge, choosing between the two will either be easy or incredibly difficult. However, one…

Keep reading

Mandelic Acid vs Retinol

Mandelic Acid vs Retinol? Which one is right for you? Can you use both? If these are questions that have crossed your mind lately, then you’ve come to the right place. I’ve covered the topic of acids extensively and will continue to do so (because it is incredibly confusing and you have to be careful).…

Keep reading
%d bloggers like this: