Single-dose vaccine now at hand

A SINGLE-DOSE COVID-19 vaccination is now available in the city.

The CanSinoBIO vaccine uses a modified common cold virus known as adenovirus type-5 to carry genetic material from the coronavirus protein into the body.

Approved by the National Medical Products Administration, inoculation with the vaccine began in Shanghai on May 13, local health authorities announced yesterday.

Due to different production techniques and research technologies involved, only one shot, or 0.5 milliliters, is needed compared with inactivated vaccine which requires two shots.

The efficacy of the CanSinoBIO vaccine at preventing symptomatic cases was 65.28 percent and 90.07 percent at preventing severe disease after 28 days of vaccination based on phase-3 clinical data.

The vaccine can also protect people from mutant strains based on the results of experiments.

It is applicable for people aged 18 or above.

The vaccine remains effective for at least six months, with observation still under way.

It is not advised that people who have taken one shot of inactivated vaccine use this vaccine as the second shot.

Most adverse reactions for vaccination are light and temporary, including swelling in the place of injection or light fever, fatigue, headache and vomiting.

People who are allergic to any substance of vaccines and who have shown serious allergic symptoms such as acute allergy, expiratory dyspnea and angioneurotic edema to vaccines in the past should not take the shot.

Those with fever, acute disease, and serious chronic disease, those who are pregnant, those who have been diagnosed with HIV infection, diabetes and have a history of asthma and people who have a history of convulsions, epilepsy, brain or mental diseases are also included in the groups not advised to take the vaccination.