Russia: Sputnik V offers 2-year immunity vs. COVID-19, no serious side effects found

Russia’s anti-COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V can offer immunity against the illness for at least two years, according to the research institute behind the vaccine.

 “We have all the reason to state that the vaccine that is being presented today will also be able to protect the vaccinated individuals from COVID-19 at least in the course of two years and probably even longer,” said Professor Denis Loginov, the deputy director of the Gamaleya Research Institute, in a report on 24 Oras.

According to Loginov, all the individuals who took the vaccine showed no side effects aside from pain in the injection area, hyperthermia or high body temperature, and headache.

“Not a single side effect was registered. They were not frequent. There was only pain at the place of injection, hyperthermia, and headache. But all of those side effects were classified as not serious,” he said.

He added that all those who tested the vaccine developed antibodies against the virus. The antibodies were also found to have eliminated the COVID-19 virus within the body.

Due to the good results of their first two trials, Sputnik V got the green light to be registered in Russia and was certified for emergency use.

Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev said that Russia will conduct post-registration clinical trials starting next week. Russia said that around 40,000 individuals will be included.

“We will have to assess the epidemic efficacy of this vaccine. And we suggest that the selection of 40,000 volunteers is sufficient in order to prove that it would turn out to be efficient then it deserves a full fledged registration,” Loginov said.

“And only once all those conditions are met and complied with, we will move on to a full-fledged registration and we will be able to administrate to the broad public,” he added. -Joahna Lei Casilao/MDM, GMA News