Study finds Sinopharm effective against Delta variant

A preprint of a study carried out by the Sri Jayewardenepura University stated that the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine was found to be effective against the Delta variant and that over 95% of the sample developed antibodies following the Sinopharm vaccine.

The study was carried out by the university’s Allergy, Immunology and Cell Biology Unit of the Immunology Molecular and Molecular Medicine Department, but is yet to be certified by peer review.

The research studied 323 persons above the age of 21 who were vaccinated in Colombo as well as 36 persons who had contracted COVID-19 naturally.

“The investigated immune responses to the Sinopharm vaccine found that the vaccine induced antibody responses in over 95% of individuals, similar to levels seen following natural COVID-19 illness,” a statement issued by the Sri Jayewardenepura University read.

The statement added that the vaccine was found to be very effective against the Delta variant as well. “The antibody responses to delta variant and neutralising antibodies were similar to levels seen following natural infection,” the university stated.

According to the summary of findings, 95% of individuals seroconverted after two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, with persons between 20 to 39 years showing a very high seroconversion rate of 98.9%. The seroconversion rate in persons above 60 years was slightly lower at 93.3%.

“The vaccine induced neutralising antibodies in 81.25% of vaccine recipients and these neutralising antibody levels were similar to levels seen following natural infection. The antibody levels to delta and beta were similar to levels following natural infection although the antibody levels were lower for alpha,” the statement read. The study was carried out by a team from the Allergy, Immunology and Cell Biology Unit of the Sri Jayewardenepura University’s Immunology Molecular and Molecular Medicine Department, including Prof. Neelika Malavige and Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, as well as the Colombo Municipal Council, and researchers from University of Oxford including Prof. Graham Ogg and Prof. Alain Townsend.

Funding for the study was provided by the World Health Organization, UK Medical Research Council and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Innovation Fund for Medical Science (CIFMS) China.

Agencies