J’pura University scientists: Sinopharm very effective against Delta variant

95% people develop antibodies after two jabs

Over 95% of Sri Lankans developed antibodies after being injected with the Sinopharm vaccine, the Allergy, Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology Molecular and Molecular Medicine of University of Sri Jayewardenepura said yesterday.

 After investigating immune responses to the Sinopharm vaccine, the researchers found that the vaccine induced antibody responses in over 95% of individuals are similar to levels seen following natural COVID-19 illness.

 “Ninety five per cent of individuals developed specific antibodies in the blood serum (seroconversion) following two doses of the Sinopharm/BBIBP-CorV vaccine. 20 to 39 years old had very high seroconversion rates (98.9%), although the seroconversion rates in individuals 60 years of age (93.3%) were lower. 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 researchers said in a press statement.

 This vaccine was found very effective for the Delta variant as well. The antibody responses to Delta variant and neutralising antibodies were similar to levels seen following natural infection, they said.

 The research team included Prof. Neelika Malavige, Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, Colombo Municipality Council and researchers from University of Oxford including Prof. Graham Ogg and Prof. Alain Townsend. The funding for this study was provided by the World Health Organisation, 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. (RK)