Chinese health experts call to suspend Pfizer's mRNA vaccine for elderly after Norwegian deaths

[Emily]

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202101/1212915.shtml

Chinese health experts call to suspend Pfizer's mRNA vaccine for elderly after Norwegian deaths

By Zhang Hui Published: Jan 15, 2021 01:58 PM

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Yang Zhanqiu, a virologist from Wuhan University, told the Global Times on Friday that the death incident, if proven to be caused by the vaccines, showed that the effect of the Pfizer vaccine and other mRNA vaccines is not as good as expected, as the main purpose of mRNA vaccines is to heal patients.

The mRNA vaccines teach human cells to make a protein to trigger an immune response; then, the immune response can protect people from getting infected if the real virus enters the body.

Meanwhile, toxic substances may be developed throughout the process of mRNA vaccinations; thus, the safety of vaccines cannot be fully ensured, Yang said.

But that's not the case for inactivated vaccines in China, which have more mature technology, Yang said.

A Beijing-based immunologist, who requested anonymity, told the Global Times on Friday that the world should suspend the use of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine represented by Pfizer, as this new technology has not proven safety in large-scale use or in preventing any infectious diseases.

Older people, especially those over 80, should not be recommended to receive any COVID-19 vaccine, he said...

 

[Emily]

https://qz.com/1959855/chinas-coronavirus-vaccine-diplomacy-is-anti-vax/
China’s vaccine diplomacy has an aggressive anti-vax element
By Mary Hui Reporter
January 21, 2021

In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, China sent millions of masks and protective equipment to countries around the world in an effort to leverage the Covid-19 crisis for diplomatic gains. People dubbed it “mask diplomacy,” as Beijing jostled to control the pandemic narrative and use the crisis to boost its vision for the new world order.
Mask diplomacy has now given way to vaccine diplomacy—but not only of the positive kind. Though much of China’s efforts have revolved around championing the Covid-19 vaccines of three domestic pharmaceutical firms, in recent days state propaganda has sought to undermine public trust in the vaccine developed by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech.
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