Chinese drugmaker: Vaccine 79.3% effective in final tests A Chinese drugmaker says its coronavirus vaccine was 79.3% effective at preventing infection in the final round of testingBEIJING -- 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. The announcement by a unit of state-owned Sinopharm gave the first official data from a Chinese vaccine's late-stage trial. Scientists have cautioned coronavirus vaccines may only be about as effective as flu vaccines, which generally are 50% effective. They are testing vaccines in more than a dozen countries including Russia, Egypt and Mexico. Western companies are distributing newly approved coronavirus vaccines, but some health experts worry too little will be available to poorer countries.

Source: ABC News December 30, 2020 06:40 UTC