Vaccines won't be a lifesaver this winter: expert

Chinese company Sinopharm has announced that its COVID-19 vaccine is over 79 percent efficacious. The vaccine has met World Health Organization (WHO) standards and is preparing to seek approval from Chinese regulators for a rollout. Chinese vaccines are seeking to enter the market as the global COVID-19 cases have surged past 82 million in the past few days.

Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, predicted the pandemic will peak this coming January and February. He said while vaccines are a welcome beacon of hope, they would not turn the tide in the short-term. CGTN Host Tian Wei speaks to Wu about how to weather the pandemic this winter.

Wu said winter could incubate the virus. "During the winter, people stay at home where ventilation is not good. The epidemic may see resurgence."

He said vaccines could not solve the pandemic overnight. "Vaccines take time. Each inoculated individual needs to produce antibodies. It will take time to build up herd immunity." Therefore, this winter season will still depend on public health measures like mask-wearing, hand-washing and social-distancing to control the epidemic. He added that if everyone followed such prevention measures, the epidemic could be stopped without vaccines.

Sinopharm's vaccine has a few other competitors with varying degrees of efficacy. The Pfizer vaccine shows a 95 percent efficacy, while the AstraZeneca vaccine shows a 70-percent efficacy. Wu dispelled concerns about choosing between the many vaccine options. "All the available vaccines produce sufficient antibodies. Vaccines that have at least a 70-percent efficacy rate are good enough to control the epidemic in a population."

China's relative success in containing the pandemic as well as the global demand for vaccines both mean that the Chinese residents will have to be patient for the vaccine rollout. "China cannot depend on vaccines for this winter and spring. There are not enough vaccines for everybody. Vaccines are prioritized for high-risk groups, like people who work in the cold-chain industry or at the airport."

Indeed, China's resolute eradication of the virus has resulted in only sporadic local transmissions from imported cases and cold-chain contamination. China's strategy has outperformed those of its neighbors South Korea and Japan that rely mostly on testing and tracing.

The South Korean and Japanese models are more palatable to Western sensibilities but have failed in eradicating all cases. Japan still has over 33,000 active cases. China has emerged from the pandemic as one of the few economies that has reopened. Wu said caution must be exercised for the Spring Festival travel rush. "Pay attention to news. Don't travel anywhere with any reported case."

After 12 months of the pandemic dominating headlines and disrupting lives, COVID-19 fatigue is palpable. But Wu is optimistic that after the pandemic peaks this winter, a vaccine-buoyed spring lies on the horizon.

World Insight with Tian Wei is an international platform for debate and intelligent discussion. It is the meeting point of both the highly influential and rising voices, facilitated by host Tian Wei. It provides nutrition to form your own thoughts and ideas through a 45-minute live debate and interviews.

(CGTN)