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Updated December 28th, 2021 at 19:52 IST

Putin cites clinical trials to back Sputnik V's efficiency against Omicron

As the world scrambles to contain the Omicron strain, Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited clinical studies to back Sputnik V’s efficiency.

Reported by: Riya Baibhawi
Russia
(Image: AP)  | Image:self
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As the world faces the threat of the new Omicron strain of COVID-19, Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited clinical studies to back Sputnik V’s efficiency against the highly transmissible variant. Addressing an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States on Tuesday, Putin said that he recently had a conversation with the chief of Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. “He told me that only clinical trials can give a final answer, but the level of [Omicron] neutralization is very high,” the Russian President said adding that the Moscow-based institute had concluded after conducting a full-fledged study on the same.

Putin's remarks came days after the Institute itself announced that its Sputnik V vaccine is proven to provide ‘strong defense’ against the newly discovered Omicron variant of COVID. According to the vaccine developer, Sputnik V jabs demonstrated high Virus Neutralising Activity (VNA) against the B.1.1.529 strain and protect users against ‘severe disease and hospitalization’.

Meanwhile, in a discreet statement, the Russian Direct Investment Fund stated that Sputnik V "has demonstrated 3-7x less of a reduction in virus-neutralizing activity against Omicron as compared to data from other vaccine producers." Notably, the vector-based vaccine is jointly developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

Notably, earlier this month, vaccine makers said in an online statement, "Sputnik V elicits a strong and long-lasting T-cell response, and as 80% of epitopes in the spike protein are not affected by the mutations in the Omicron variant, Sputnik V is expected to provide long-lasting protection against severe disease by Omicron. Sputnik V’s long-lasting T-cell immunity contributes to 80% efficacy against Delta on months 6-8." 

Putin calls for a rise in immunization

During his address, Putin also asserted that the current level of immunization (around 56 percent) is not enough, as Russia should aim for 90-95 percent. Regardless, top experts recently claimed that Omicron wasn't prevalent in the country as yet. As per Anna Popova, head of the Russian consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, the B.1.1.529 strain, although is highly transmissible, but its course is not as grave as for other COVID-19 strains.

(Image: AP) 

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Published December 28th, 2021 at 19:52 IST

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