A coronavirus vaccine created by a state-owned drug maker in China is 86 percent effective in protecting people against COVID-19, according to interim results of a Phase Three trial in the United Arab Emirates. While that’s way over the 50 percent threshold that scientists consider acceptable when approving a vaccine, it falls short of results shown by the two vaccines created by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. Nevertheless, China’s Food and Drug Administration celebrated the results, saying they were a “significant vote of confidence... in the safety and efficacy of this vaccine.” The UAE government said its analysis showed the vaccine was 100 percent effective in preventing moderate and severe cases of the disease, and that there were no serious safety concerns.
