Hong Kong's Sinovac deaths a worrying sign for China reopening

[HONG KONG] Data indicating the Sinovac Biotech Covid-19 vaccine is less effective than an mRNA vaccine at preventing death in elderly people in Hong Kong is a red flag for mainland China, where infections are climbing and a vast swathe of the population is inoculated with the inactivated shot.

Almost 3 per cent of people aged 80 or older who got 2 doses of the inactivated CoronaVac shot died after getting infected, compared with 1.5 per cent of those who were given the BioNTech vaccine, according to a preliminary analysis conducted by the Centre for Health Protection. Getting just 1 dose of either offered less protection, with 5.8 per cent of those given CoronaVac and 3.4 per cent of those given the mRNA shot subsequently dying.

The data is based on the first 5,435 deaths in the current outbreak and showed that the overall fatality rate was just 0.09 per cent for those who had gotten 2 vaccine doses regardless of age.

Hong Kongers can pick between the 2 vaccines, and about 80 per cent of its oldest residents have received Sinovac. The group as a whole remains severely under-vaccinated and accounts for more than 70 per cent of total deaths.

Sinovac didn't immediately respond to requests for comment via telephone and WeChat.

It's a concerning trend for mainland China, which hasn't approved an mRNA shot and where only half of the population aged 80 and older are fully vaccinated. The nation is already grappling to contain its worst outbreak in 2 years without causing severe disruptions to its economic growth, even as officials turn to typical Covid-Zero measures like mass testing and strict lockdowns.

The prospect of elderly people lacking sufficient protection through vaccination risks further delaying the reopening of the world's second largest economy. Over the weekend, the country reported is first Covid deaths in more than a year: a man in his 60s and another in his 80s, one of whom was unvaccinated.

Mainland China is also keen to avoid repeating the missteps of Hong Kong, where daily cases spiraled to more than 50,000 and overwhelmed healthcare resources. The city had to treat people outside hospitals, while local media reported body bags were left next to patients' beds as mortuaries reached capacity.

Chinese officials recently pleaded for the country's elderly to get their Covid shots and cited a high fatality rate among the unvaccinated and elderly elsewhere, especially in Hong Kong, as cautionary tales. Officials pledged to reach out to key groups and nursing homes to address the concern they have on the safety and effect of Covid vaccines.

Still, the figures show either vaccine was dramatically better than nothing at all. Among those aged 80 and older, 15 per cent of those who weren't immunised died after contracting the virus. The government released the information after local newspaper Ming Pao reported on immunisation rates among the city's fatalities. BLOOMBERG