The Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine was 91.6 percent effective in an interim analysis of a phase 3 clinical trial published on Tuesday.
The strong results of a clinical trial in Russia, published by the British medical journal The Lancet, indicate that another safe and effective vaccine is joining the worldwide arsenal against the virus. As for safety, no serious adverse reactions have been reported with the vaccine.
The vaccine faced skepticism because Russia approved it in August, before the completion of phase 3 tests. But two British scientists wrote in an article in The Lancet that, despite skepticism, the results look strong now that the data has been released.
“The development of the Sputnik V vaccine has been criticized for its improper haste, cut corners and lack of transparency,” wrote British scientists Ian Jones and Polly Roy. “But the result reported here is clear and the scientific principle of vaccination is demonstrated, which means that another vaccine can now join the fight to reduce the incidence of COVID-19.”
The vaccine has already been sent to other countries, including some in South America, such as Argentina and Bolivia.
Vaccination of people in countries around the world is important to slow the spread of the virus and reduce its opportunities for mutation and development in potentially even more dangerous variants.
“Why is this news so good for all of us? Why we need to vaccinate the world, ”Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, tweeted about the results of the Russian vaccine. “Sputnik will not only be used in Russia – but other nations will also use it. And we need all the effective and safe vaccines we can get. “