A leading Chinese COVID-19 vaccine candidate has been found to be 50.4 percent effective, according to the results of a late-stage trial in Brazil, a potential setback to the Chinese regime as it seeks to leverage the vaccine to boost its global image.
The results from Brazil’s state-funded Butantan Institute on Jan. 12 were just enough to pass the 50 percent threshold set by the World Health Organization for regulatory approval. It was far lower than initial claims announced last week that touted a 78 percent efficacy rate.