Island nation of Seychelles distributed Chinese vaccine, now getting massive second surge

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Seychelles closes schools to fight a 'critical' surge in Covid cases despite being the most vaccinated nation in the world after receiving shipment of Chinese shots

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Seychelles, the world's most Covid-vaccinated nation with more than 60 per cent of its adult population having received two jabs, has reintroduced restrictions because of a spike in cases.

All schools have been closed and sporting activities cancelled for two weeks in the idyllic Indian Ocean archipelago, as infections continue to surge.

Measures also include a ban on household mixing, some types of gatherings, and the early closure of shops, bars and casinos. Non-essential workers are also being encouraged to work from home, and an 11 pm curfew will remain in force.

The restrictions come despite the country fully vaccinating over 62 per cent of its adult population with two doses — the second highest rate in the world.

Only Gibraltar, a British overseas territory, has had a more successful roll-out, data shows.

There are currently 1,068 active Covid cases in the Seychelles, of which a third have been detected in people given two doses of either AstraZeneca's or China's Sinopharm's vaccine.

It unclear what has triggered the surge in cases but testing has detected the South African variant spreading on the islands.

Scientists believe the mutant strain can evade immunity and make jabs up to 30 per cent weaker at preventing infections — but they think Western vaccines should still stop people falling severely ill if they get infected.

There is more doubt about how well Chinese-made vaccines work because Beijing has refused to publish full data from trials. Chile has suffered a devastating second wave, fuelled by the Brazilian variant, despite vaccinating half its population with at least one dose of a different Chinese jab, called CoronaVac.

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The country acted quickly to begin its vaccination program in January, using doses from China's Sinopharm (BBIBP-CorV) vaccine that were donated from the United Arab Emirates.

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Chile, another country that has been heavily reliant on vaccines developed in China, has also seen rising cases despite its successful inoculation campaign.

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China's Sinopharm vaccines being used in the Seychelles is thought to be more effective, with provisional figures suggesting it was around 86 percent effective against Covid-19.

However, no detailed efficacy data of the vaccine has been published in peer-reviewed journals.

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