COVID-19: WHO's assessment of Sputnik V vaccine in final stages, likely to get EUL soon

Just two days after South Africa denied approval to Sputnik V vaccine, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that it is assessing the Russia-designed vaccine for Emergency Use Listing (EUL). On Wednesday, developers of the Russian indigenous anti-coronavirus vaccine said that WHO’s preliminary assessment of the vaccine was in the final stages and a team of health inspectors will visit Moscow soon. The vector-based vaccine is jointly developed by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian Direct Investment Fund. 

“A group of WHO inspectors is due to visit Russia shortly to round up all necessary inspections & paperwork on #SputnikV, one of the world’s safest & most efficient vaccines,” the vaccine said in an online statement. 

Although Sputnik V was launched in July 2020 with Putin Administration claiming it to be ‘world’s first COVID vaccine’, Sputnik V is yet to receive a WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL). At present, the vaccine is approved by 70 countries, making it the second most approved coronavirus vaccine in the world. Indian Regulators approved the single shot vaccine back in April, 2021. 

How does Sputnik V work ?

The Sputnik V vaccine is based on a modified version of adenovirus, a common cold virus. The vector was stripped of its disease-causing genes and modified to carry genetic instructions for making the coronavirus spike protein. This prompts the cells to cause an immune response which eventually protects against the SARS-CoV-2. 

Sputnik Light shows 70 % efficacy against Delta variant 

Russia's single-shot Sputnik Light, meanwhile, the first component of the Sputnik V vaccine launched recently has shown 70% efficacy against the Delta variant of COVID during the first three months after vaccination. The vaccine shows the effectiveness of over 75% for people aged under 60, reveals an analysis conducted by Gamaleya Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology. Sputnik Light also has higher efficacy against severe diseases and hospitalisations. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and the Gamaleya Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology announced the results of an efficacy analysis of the Sputnik Light vaccine. They informed in a press release that the jab has shown a "superior efficacy" in comparison to some of the two-shot vaccines for COVID-19. 

(Image: AP)