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A Chinese drugmaker said Wednesday its coronavirus vaccine was found to be 79.3% effective at preventing infection in preliminary data from the final round of testing, moving Beijing closer to possibly being able to fulfill its pledge to supply other developing countries.
Sinopharm's data release is the first official announcement of late-stage trial data from a Chinese company on its vaccine candidates. Its effectiveness rate is behind Moderna's vaccine, which was more than 94% effective, and Pfizer's, which is 95% effective. Scientists have cautioned that COVID-19 vaccines may only be about as effective as the flu vaccine, which generally is 50% effective.
However, the final proof of the vaccine's effectiveness will depend on publication of scientific data as the company's disclosure did not provide additional information.