The Sinopharm vaccine.Credit:AP
“When some people are found to be not really responsive to the vaccines,which is expected with all vaccines,there was an initiative to approach these people and give them a third shot of the Sinopharm vaccine,which has shown,within the context of the study,to boost their immunity,” he said.
Anyone with low levels of antibodies after a test could ask their doctor to contact health authorities and an appointment would be made for them to have another dose,he said,though generally it is the officials that approach the person.
He likened the need for a third shot as similar to a flu booster shot and said those requiring it was a “very small number.” The need for a third shot was originally mentioned on March 10 by the spokeswoman for the health sector,Farida al-Hosani,to theNational newspaper.
According to doctors spoken to by theWall Street Journal,there were cases of people with little or no antibody response after two doses of Sinopharm.
A man receives a Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine from a medical staffer at the Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh Temple,in Dubai,United Arab Emirates.Credit:AP
The revelations could raise doubts about the effectiveness of the vaccine,which is being widely used around the world as countries scramble to locate vaccines. Many of the more effective,Western-made vaccines have been snapped up by wealthier nations.
The Sinopharm vaccine,called BBIBP-CorV,has a self-reported efficacy rate of 79 percent - which global health experts say is more than adequate - but its data has not been publicly released. In addition to the UAE,the vaccine has been purchased by countries such as Egypt,Cambodia,Senegal and Peru.