‘Sputnik V’, a Corona 19 vaccine developed by Russia. Reuters Yonhap News
The announcement that the phase 3 immunity effect of the Russian Corona 19 vaccine’Sputnik V’was 91.6% was published in an international medical journal. “Russian Direct Investment Fund” (RDIF), a Russian sovereign wealth fund that supported the development of Sputnik V, said on the 2nd, “The results of the interim clinical trial of Sputnik V were published in Lancet, one of the world’s oldest and most authoritative medical journals. The hyperimmune effect has been proven.” Russia unusually approved the Sputnik V, developed by the Gamalea National Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, under the Ministry of Health in August last year, without even phase 3 clinical trials. Concerns have arisen that safety problems may arise in the US and Europe. For this reason, Russia is particularly encouraging that Sputnik V phase 3 clinical trials have been published in a British medical journal in which the results are published after expert evaluation. According to the’Russian Direct Investment Fund’, the phase 3 test was conducted in the form of two vaccinations at 21-day intervals for 19,868 people. Of the 19,866 people, 14,944 were vaccinated with Sputnik V, and 4,902 were given a fake drug (placebo). There were 78 people infected with Corona 19, of which 16 were vaccinated with Sputnik V, and 62 were given fake drugs. The Russian Direct Investment Fund announced that the immunity effect was 91.8% even in a test of 2144 people aged 60 years or older, and statistically there was no difference from the effect from the group aged 18-60. However, the effect on the mutant virus reported in South Africa was not confirmed. Aleksandr Ginzburg, director of the Gamaleya Center, said, “The fact that the results of the phase 3 clinical trial of Sputnik V were evaluated by international experts and published (in the journal) is a great achievement in the international fight against infectious diseases.” The Russian Direct Investment Fund emphasizes that Sputnik V has strengths in price and ease of storage. Sputnik V can be stored at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, and the inoculation price is less than $10 per dose ($20 per person). It is easier to transport and cheaper than Pfizer-Bioentech, modder or vaccine that must be stored in a freezer. Compared to the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is known for around $4 per dose, it has the same storage temperature and is more expensive. The European Union (EU), where a shortage of vaccines is a problem, is claiming that some member states need to get vaccines in Russia, he said. Among European Union member states, Hungary has approved Sputnik V. However, there is still a strong atmosphere inside Russia that is reluctant to get the COVID-19 vaccine. According to a poll last week by a polling agency, 46% of Russians said they were ready to get the vaccine, which was significantly lower than that of the United States (63%), Germany (67%) and the United Kingdom (86%). By Jo Ki-won, staff reporter