'Sputnik V Can Protect Against All Covid Variants' Says Head Of Russia's Gamaleya Institute

The two-dose adenoviral vector-based coronavirus vaccine is being administered in select private hospitals for Rs 1,145 per dose.

Image Source: Reuters

New Delhi: The head of the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia, Alexander Gintsburg, has claimed that the vaccine Sputnik V protects all variants of the Covid-19. The vaccine was developed by the Gamaleya Institute. 

The Sputnik vaccine is the third vaccine that has been given approval for emergency use in India aside from Covishield and Covaxin. The two-dose adenoviral vector-based coronavirus vaccine is being administered in select private hospitals for Rs 1,145 per dose.

In a statement on Tuesday, Alexander Gintsburg said, "Antibodies developed after vaccination with Sputnik V protect from all variants of COVID known today, starting from the UK variant to the so-called Delta variant, first detected in India."

"Antibodies developed after vaccination with #SputnikV protect from all variants of COVID known today, starting from the UK variant to the so-called Delta variant, first detected in India" - Head of the Gamaleya Center academician Alexander Gintsburg. pic.twitter.com/upaornSbEG

— Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) June 22, 2021

Earlier, Russian sovereign fund RDIF on June 17 said its COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V will soon offer a booster shot, adjusted to work against the Delta variant of coronavirus, to other vaccine manufacturers. “Sputnik V is more efficient against the Delta variant of coronavirus first detected in India, than any other vaccine that published results on this strain so far – the Gamaleya Centre study submitted for publication in an international peer-reviewed journal,” the makers said further.

Delta variant is our new common enemy. We should fight it together. Sputnik V is the only approved cocktail of vaccines (vectors Ad26+Ad5) and will offer its shot to other vaccine manufacturers for new powerful cocktails against Delta variant. Several such studies are ongoing. pic.twitter.com/NFBzeBOZ3t

— Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) June 17, 2021

RDIF also announced that it will be launching a single-dose Sputnik Light vaccine which will be based on the Ad26 vector in India. The Delta variant, which was first detected in India in October was one of the deadliest outbreaks the country had seen since the beginning of the pandemic, the variant has further mutated to a Delta plus which many anticipate could be the third wave. 

Experts say that fast vaccination and following social distancing protocols is the only measure to fight against the third wave. 

On Tuesday, White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr Anthony Fauci warned that the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus is the "greatest threat" to America's attempt to eradicate the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at a White House briefing on COVID-19, Fauci said the variant, which was first identified in India, now makes up more than 20 percent of all new cases in the US, a significant increase from nearly 10 percent two weeks ago.

The B.1.1.7 variant which is known as the Alpha variant by the World Health Organisation (WHO) was first discovered in Kent in September of last year. The strain, which has 23 known mutations so far, has become the dominant variant both in the UK and the United States.