Russia approves single-dose Sputnik V version

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL -Russia has approved a single-dose version of the Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19 after it demonstrated nearly 80% efficacy, according to the state fund that supported its development.

The vaccine demonstrated nearly 80% efficacy, according to the state fund that supported its development.

The 79.4% efficacy rate of the vaccine, called Sputnik Light, is based on an analysis of real-world data, not a standard clinical trial, and interim results from the late-stage study are expected later this month, according to a statement from the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). Initial and intermediate studies have shown no serious adverse events, the RDIF said.

One dose of Sputnik Light “significantly reduces the possibility of severe cases leading to hospitalization,” the RDIF said in the statement.

Russia’s two-dose Sputnik V vaccine rivaled other major vaccines used in the United States and Europe when it demonstrated 92% efficacy against Covid-19 in a peer-reviewed study.

The vaccine sparked skepticism when President Vladimir Putin announced last August that Russia had cleared the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine for use before safety trials had even been completed.

Although the RDIF claims that more than 20 million people worldwide have already been administered a dose of Sputnik V, Russia is facing challenges in persuading its own citizens to be vaccinated. Only about 8% of the population has been administered the first dose amid fears of a growing wave of cases.

The two-dose Sputnik V will continue to be the main vaccine in Russia, Kirill Dmitriev, RDIF director-president, said in a telephone interview. The light version, he said, is primarily for countries with a significant increase in Covid cases that need to be quickly reduced.

“We expect registration of Sputnik Light in several countries as early as next week,” Dmitriev said, adding that the fund followed Russian regulatory procedures.