Brazilian study says Sinovac coronavirus jab 78% effective

SAO PAULO (AP) — A vaccine candidate made by China’s Sinovac is 78% effective in protecting against the coronavirus, according to results of a study announced Thursday by Brazilian state health officials seeking federal approval of the shot.

More than 12,000 health workers participated in the study, which detected 218 cases of COVID-19 — about 160 of those among people who received a placebo rather than the actual vaccine.

Turkish officials last month said that a smaller, companion study in that country of the same vaccine candidate found an efficacy rate over 90%.

The government of Sao Paulo state, which has contracted for the vaccine, said it will ask Brazil's federal health regulators Friday for emergency approval to begin using it. Gov. João Doria plans to start a vaccination campaign for the state's 46 million residents on Jan. 25.

Sao Paulo's Butantan Institute, which is Sinovac's partner in Brazil, did not disclose data such as results by age and gender or the number of asymptomatic volunteers in the sample, which many epidemiologists require to assess whether the shot complies with safety standards.

Officials said details will be published after Brazil’s health regulatory agency approves the vaccine. They gave no date for disclosure in scientific publications.

Gonzalo Vecina, one of the founders of Brazil's health agency, said the data revealed so far is reassuring enough to approve the shot for emergency use.

“In a general picture, we do have sufficient information to move on to register and use it,” Vecina told The Associated Press. “We need 320 million vaccines for 160 million Brazilians, that's our population above 18 years of age. If the federal government doesn't do it, the state governments will, but we have to do it fast. We are already...