Sputnik V gives 90% protection against Delta strain of COVID-19, says Russian scientists

In an interview with Sputnik News on July 11, Sergey Netesov revealed that Viral vector and mRNA vaccines, including Russia's Sputnik V, are capable enough to provide immunity against the new Delta strain of coronavirus. Netesov is the Head of the Novosibirsk State University's Laboratory and a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). He does admit that the efficacy slightly dips when it comes to the Delta Variant. 

In the interview, Netesov said, "According to data from the UK, the US and other countries, mRNA and vector vaccines, including our Sputnik V, protect against it [the Delta variant], albeit to a lesser extent, but they do protect against it. They offered 95 percent protection against the initial strain and now they give 90% protection against the 'delta' variant."

He even said that the existing vaccines should be used extensively as they are extremely effective. At the end of June, Vladimir Gushchin, who played a key role in developing the Sputnik V vaccine, assured that the jabs guarantee nearly 100 percent protection against severe and fatal cases of COVID-19 caused by the Delta strain. 

As Russia became the first country in the world to register a vaccine against the coronavirus, their rollout in the Indian market has only just begun. Sputnik V comprises two differently engineered adenoviruses (rAd26 and rAd5 for the first and second doses, respectively) that deliver the genetic code for the spike protein of the coronavirus into human cells. Adenoviruses are known to cause mild illness in humans. By using two different adenoviruses, the developers wanted to increase its efficacy against the virus. Major vaccines like Oxford-AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson have used the same adenovirus for both their doses.

An interim analysis from a trial published in The Lancet medical journal found out that the Sputnik V vaccine has 91.6 percent efficacy. Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology’s study found out that Sputnik V has 97.6 percent efficacy. The vaccine has not yet reported any cases of blood-clotting conditions or severe health issues after the jabs, both in Russia or from more than 60 countries that have administered Sputnik V.