The novel Coronavirus pandemic was first identified in an outbreak in Wuhan City, China in December 2019[1]. The symptoms range from fever, dry cough, and fatigue to severe illness causing death. By December 2022, the pandemic had caused more than 6.65 million confirmed deaths, making it the deadliest outbreak in history.
In 2020, billions of dollars were invested by corporations, governments, international health organisations, and university research institutions to develop dozens of vaccines to immunise against COVID-19 infection[2]. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), presented geographical distribution data on COVID-19 vaccine development that shows North American institutions to have about 40% activity compared to 30% in Asia and Australia, 26% in Europe, and few projects in South America and Africa[3].
On 24 June 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) gave China the “green light” to use the CanSino vaccine — a vaccine developed in urgency though they had not yet completed clinical trials — for limited use in the military, and two inactivated virus vaccines for emergency use in high-risk occupations[4].
The Sinopharm BIBP COVID-19 vaccine, alias BBIBP-CorV, or BIBP vaccine is one of two whole inactivated vaccines called SARS-CoV2 (Vero Cell) developed by Sinopharm’s Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, a subsidiary of China National Biotech Group (CNBG)[5]. The BBIBP-CorV shares similar technology with CoronaVac, alias Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, which is the second whole inactivated vaccine developed by the Chinese state-owned company Sinovac Biotech Ltd[6].
Later in the year 2020, WHO permitted China to roll out its vaccines globally under WHO’s Emergency Use Listing (EUL) which allows countries to expedite their own regulatory approval to import and administer COVID-19 vaccines[7]. China completed phase III trials in Argentina, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with over 60,000 participants[8].
By 2021 China administered 2.4 billion doses to its citizens, and almost 1.3 billion vaccine doses were distributed globally[9]. By 2022, Sinopharm claimed to have distributed over 3.5 billion doses globally[10]. Major imports of the vaccine were made to Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran, Philippines, Morocco, Thailand, Argentina, Venezuela, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Chile, Mexico, and Bangladesh in terms of the majority[11].
In 2022, a “Statistical Table of Adverse Reactions to COVID-19 Vaccines”(2022) published by Laishui County’s community health center in Baoding City, Hebei Province shows that people injected with Chinese vaccines have suffered adverse reactions including fever, nausea, diarrhea, and more deaths [12]; the Leadership Team for Epidemic Response in Hebei province notified of “Further Strengthening Safety Management of COVID-19 Vaccination[13].” document issued by the Baoding Municipal Leadership Team for Epidemic Response that leaked online recorded a case of a local resident being quarantined by Chinese authorities for 47 days despite being fully vaccinated with Chinese vaccines[14].
Documents leaked were labeled as “extra urgent and non-disclosure to the public,” and they emphasized increased monitoring of people with adverse reactions[15].This paved the way for China’s “zero-covid policy”, which began during the current mass protests[16]ever witnessed in China’s history. Beijing began taking steps to address this issue by producing the world’s first “inhalable COVID vaccine”[17] targeting the elderly sector[18]. However, after the mass protest eruption, the Chinese government shifted to focus on quarantining everyone and forced comprehensive tests on all age groups — which covered blood routine, CT, blood serum, and nucleic acid tests.
In tests conducted on blood serum, there were positive results for IgM antibody – this is usually the first antibody produced by the immune system when a virus attacks. A positive test for this antibody may indicate that the body has recently been infected[19] – even after conducting repeat tests by the Chinese authorities, the results were confirmed for IgM even after they were fully vaccinated.
The Baoding Municipal Government’s Foreign Affairs Office issued policies that regulate “those tested IgM positive must be quarantined at a centralised site, and released only when the tests turn negative.”[20] The urgency for Chinese authorities to conduct rapid tests is because IgM antibodies appear in the early stages of COVID-19. However, after being vaccinated and quarantined for nearly 47 days, it is unusual for IgM antibodies to test positive. And this is how China began its mass quarantine of its citizens after its vaccines brutally failed to deliver what it promised, and the draconian Zero-Covid policy was implemented by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) across the country.
China’s sudden outbreaks demonstrate a lack of effectiveness of its vaccines, prompting global concerns, especially in countries that China supplies vaccines to. Initially, China discouraged the use of international vaccines like Moderna and Pfizer and instead promoted its domestic vaccines.
The government of Turkey that initially accepted Chinese vaccines is now scrutinising its efficacy after learning of China’s supposed involvement in data tampering of side effects only to boost vaccine sales[21]. In December 2020, Indonesia and Brazil initially reported 97% and 78% efficacy in Chinese vaccines. However, in 2021 both countries doubled down the digits to 65% and 50.4% efficacy and expressed concerns over major side effects[22]. Following a resurgence in infections and deaths, Thailand and Singapore revoked the Chinese vaccines and replaced them with ones made by AstraZeneca and Pfizer.
China’s competitive nature to dominate the vaccine industry predates 2018, the vaccine scandal of Changsheng Bio-technology Co., Ltd.[23] The National Institutes for Food and Drug Control approved the supply of 276.6 million doses (37 kinds of vaccines) to the market from January—July 2019. Thereof, China National Biotech Group (including Chengdu Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Shanghai Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Changchun Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd. and Changchun Keygen Biological Products Co., Ltd.) boasted the largest lot release volume of total 43.4% aiming to stay far ahead of others as the bellwether in the Chinese vaccine industry[24].
Chinese vaccine companies have broken the monopoly of their foreign peers on novel vaccines like the 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine and HPV vaccine, in their race to spend more on research and development[25]. It was imperative for China to dominate the COVID-19 vaccine market and change the status quo, but its inactivated vaccines backfired.
[1] COVID-19 pandemic at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic
[2] History of COVID-19 vaccine development at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_COVID-19_vaccine_development
[3] History of COVID-19 vaccine development at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_COVID-19_vaccine_development
[4] “Coronavirus: WHO backed China’s emergency use of experimental vaccines, health official says” by Zhuang Pinghui at https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3103121/coronavirus-who-backed-chinas-emergency-use-experimental
[5] “WHO lists additional COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use and issues interim policy recommendations” at https://www.who.int/news/item/07-05-2021-who-lists-additional-covid-19-vaccine-for-emergency-use-and-issues-interim-policy-recommendations
[6] “CoronaVac” at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoronaVac
[7] “WHO lists additional COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use and issues interim policy recommendations” at https://www.who.int/news/item/07-05-2021-who-lists-additional-covid-19-vaccine-for-emergency-use-and-issues-interim-policy-recommendations
[8] “Sinopharm BIBP COVID-19 vaccine” at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinopharm_BIBP_COVID-19_vaccine
[9] “China’s COVID vaccines have been crucial — now immunity is waning” by Smriti Mallapaty at https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02796-w
[10] www.sinopharm.com/en/s/1395-4689-40366.html
[11] “China’s COVID vaccines have been crucial — now immunity is waning” by Smriti Mallapaty at https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02796-w
[12] “Leaked Documents Reveal Cases of Adverse Reactions to Chinese-Made COVID-19 Vaccines” by Alex Wu at https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_breakingnews/adverse-reactions-to-chinese-made-covid-19-vaccines-appeared-in-china-leaked-documents_3786353.html?utm_source=newsnoe&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=breaking-2021-04-22-1&mktids=ad366318dce19d55b674b0b2510d3e19&est=gRd7hubMI1Mpi7RhUtuHWJkwz8B5k7k5YBWHyappWYIlW6Nkm9k0XQ0KqtzRsPbA
[13] “DEATH, DISABILITY AMONG SIDE EFFECTS OF CHINESE COVID-19 VACCINES, LEAKED DOCUMENTS REVEAL” by Gail Dutton at https://www.pharmalive.com/death-disability-among-side-effects-of-chinese-covid-19-vaccines-leaked-documents-reveal/
[14] “Adverse Reactions, Deaths After Getting Chinese Vaccine” by Tiffany Meier at https://www.theepochtimes.com/adverse-reactions-deaths-after-getting-chinese-vaccine_4027899.html
[15] “China just reported a record high day of coronavirus cases” by JP Mangalindan at https://www.insider.com/china-reports-record-number-of-covid-cases-nationwide-2022-11
[16] “China Covid protests explained: why are people demonstrating and what will happen next?” By Helen Davidson at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/28/china-protests-explained-why-are-people-demonstrating-blank-piece-white-paper-a4-what-will-happen-next-zero-covid-policy-protest
[17] “China rolls out first inhalable COVID vaccine” at https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-rolls-out-first-inhalable-covid-vaccine-2022-10-28/
[18] “30% of Chinese Seniors Haven’t Been Boosted” by Niels Graham at https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/econographics/the-numbers-that-drove-chinas-zero-covid-policy/
[19] “The Difference between Tests for COVID-19 (Coronavirus)” at https://www.nationaljewish.org/patients-visitors/patient-info/important-updates/coronavirus-information-and-resources/testing-info-resources/the-difference-between-tests-for-covid-19
[20] “Leaked Documents Reveal Cases of Adverse Reactions to Chinese-Made COVID-19 Vaccines” by Alex Wu at https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_breakingnews/adverse-reactions-to-chinese-made-covid-19-vaccines-appeared-in-china-leaked-documents_3786353.html?utm_source=newsnoe&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=breaking-2021-04-22-1&mktids=ad366318dce19d55b674b0b2510d3e19&est=gRd7hubMI1Mpi7RhUtuHWJkwz8B5k7k5YBWHyappWYIlW6Nkm9k0XQ0KqtzRsPbA
[21] “Chinese vaccines proven ineffective becoming problem for world” at https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/chinese-vaccines-proven-ineffective-becoming-problem-for-world-the-singapore-post/articleshow/96056855.cms
[22] “Chinese vaccines proven ineffective becoming problem for world” at https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/chinese-vaccines-proven-ineffective-becoming-problem-for-world-the-singapore-post/articleshow/96056855.cms
[23] “China Human Vaccine Industry Report, 2019-2025 Featuring 22 Human Vaccine Companies” at https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-human-vaccine-industry-report-2019-2025-featuring-22-human-vaccine-companies-300954129.html
[24] “China Human Vaccine Industry Report, 2019-2025 Featuring 22 Human Vaccine Companies” at https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-human-vaccine-industry-report-2019-2025-featuring-22-human-vaccine-companies-300954129.html
[25] “China Human Vaccine Industry Report, 2019-2025 Featuring 22 Human Vaccine Companies” at https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-human-vaccine-industry-report-2019-2025-featuring-22-human-vaccine-companies-300954129.html