Letters | In reopening, China should provide more reliable Covid data

Readers discuss the successes and gaps in Chinese pandemic policy, and the prospect of mainland music fans rushing to Hong Kong

Coronavirus China

Letters

Published: 2:30pm, 7 Jan 2023

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I refer to the letter, “China should buy West’s mRNA shots” (January 4).

The World Health Organization has said trials showed two doses of Sinovac vaccine having a 51 per cent protection rate against Covid infection, and 100 per cent against severe illness. In Hong Kong, real-world data might suggest that the BioNTech mRNA vaccine has a higher protection rate, but the fact that Sinovac has been administered to more elderly people should be taken into account.

To be able to claim one vaccine is superior to the other, a properly designed head-to-head clinical trial has to be conducted. Currently, there is no head-to-head data available on Western mRNA and Chinese vaccines. Chinese vaccine makers have multiple vaccines with different mechanisms of action in the pipeline that have either been approved or are being developed, including mRNA vaccines. China has also been in talks regarding Germany’s BioNTech mRNA vaccine for some time.

The fact that the Chinese regulator could swiftly approve Pfizer’s Covid-19 oral drug Paxlovid in February last year, months after the drug was approved in the United States, is surely proof that loss of face has nothing to do with lack of Chinese approval for Western mRNA vaccines.

The United States has long been realistic in setting foreign policy. Given that its offer of vaccine help is in service of its political agenda, it is unlikely that China’s acceptance of American assistance would improve the bilateral relationship.

In 2020 and 2021, China did a good job containing Covid and inoculating its people. With the much more transmissible but less virulent Omicron variant, China should have eased the zero-Covid policy earlier in 2022.

In reopening, China should also update its Covid diagnosis and reporting guidelines. Currently, there seems a gap between official and actual case numbers. Allowing Covid confirmation with positive PCR and RAT results (including self-uploaded results) would provide the public with better and more reliable data.

Xin Huang, Kwun Tong

Let us hope

I refer to “‘Going to Hong Kong before everyone’: mainland China music fans raring to see shows in city such as Blackpink concert, upon border reopening” (January 4).

Let’s hope all these music fans from the mainland are Covid-free.

Chris Ma, Mid-Levels