(Reuters) – Chinese vaccine manufacturer Sinovac Biotech Ltd’s COVID-19 vaccine has proven effective in late-stage trials in Brazil, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing people involved in the development of the vaccine.
The Butantan Institute of Sao Paulo state, which organizes late-stage trials of Sinovac’s vaccine CoronaVac in Brazil, said on Monday that all reports on the effectiveness of the shot before Wednesday’s announcement were “mere speculation.”
Brazil is the first country to complete late-stage CoronaVac testing, which is also being tested in Indonesia and Turkey, the Journal reported here.
The results of the trials in Brazil place CoronaVac above the 50% threshold that international scientists believe is necessary to protect humans, the Journal report said.
Butantan is poised to announce the efficacy of CoronaVac on Wednesday, the Journal said.
Sinovac did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
The vaccine candidates from Sinovac and AstraZeneca Plc may be ready for use in Brazil by mid-February, the health minister said last week.
Reporting by Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru; Edited by Maju Samuel and Peter Cooney