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Sputnik V 97.2% effective against Covid-19, says RDIF citing data from Belarus govt

By Hindustan Times

Sputnik V, Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine, has been found to demonstrate 97.2% efficacy against the coronavirus, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced, citing data from the Republic of Belarus’ health ministry. Further, the RDIF also said that no severe adverse events associated with the vaccination and no deaths related to the vaccination were observed, according to the data from Belarus.

The RDIF also said that the data was based on results of over 860,000 people who were inoculated between January and July this year. “The Russian vaccine has demonstrated 97.2% efficacy against coronavirus in Belarus. The efficacy of Sputnik V was measured based on data from more than 860,000 people vaccinated between January and July 2021,” the RDIF said in a statement on Wednesday.

Also read | Dr Reddy’s Labs gets approval for phase 3 trials of Sputnik Light in India

Belarus, also a neighbour of Russia, was the first foreign country to register Sputnik V for the inoculation of its citizens against the Covid-19 pandemic. The RDIF facilitated technology transfer to help in localising the production of Sputnik V vaccines in Belarus by the Belmedpreparaty company, which is successfully manufacturing the vaccine. In April 2021, the Belarusian health ministry authorised the shots produced in the country. Also, in the same month, Sputnik Light, the single dose vaccine, was also registered in Belarus.

Earlier in the month, RDIF also said that the vaccine demonstrated an efficacy of 94.8% over 21 days after administering the first dose and 95.9% against hospitalisations, based on real world data released by the health ministry of San Marino.

Meanwhile, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories in India has received a nod from the subject expert committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to conduct phase 3 clinical trials for the Sputnik Light vaccine. The two-dose Sputnik V vaccine is one among the six shots that have been granted an emergency use approval (EUA) in India and is currently being used in the country’s Covid-19 vaccination drive.

The Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology developed the Sputnik V vaccine with assistance from the RDIF, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, which also markets the vaccine globally.

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