THE safety and high efficacy of the Russian Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik-V, has been confirmed in a research done in Bahrain.
The study was conducted in accordance with the World Health Organisation guidelines and involved more than 5,000 subjects, announced the Health Ministry yesterday.
Overall efficacy beyond 14 days after administering a second dose was estimated at 94.3 per cent, with the analysis based on data collected between February and early May.
The study also established that 98.6pc of those vaccinated with Sputnik-V and infected 14 days after their second dose experienced mild symptoms.
Among the findings:
* No serious adverse events associated with the vaccination were observed;
* No deaths related to the vaccination occurred; and
* No cerebral vein thrombosis cases were noted after the vaccination.
Health Minister Faeqa Al Saleh endorsed the efficacy of the vaccine, adding that Sputnik-V continued to play an important role in the kingdom’s ongoing and successful vaccination campaign.
“Our data has confirmed the high efficacy and safety of Sputnik-V during its use in Bahrain,” she said.
“This vaccine is one of a number of approved vaccines made available free of charge in Bahrain.
“Sputnik-V continues to play an important role in the kingdom’s ongoing and successful vaccination campaign, with 81pc of the eligible population vaccinated so far.”
Bahrain authorised Sputnik-V for emergency use in February, the fourth in the country, after the Chinese Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca.
The country also authorised single-shot vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and Sputnik Light, which are yet to be made available.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund) welcomed Bahrain’s initiative which came after the two countries announced plans to set up a facility to manufacture and distribute Sputnik-V across the Gulf and Middle East and North Africa.
Mumtalakat Holding Company, Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, signed a memorandum of understanding with RDIF and Binnopharm Group to explore the possibility of setting up the facility.
RDIF chief executive Kirill Dmitriev noted that the same findings were reported in data collected in other countries.
“Sputnik-V has demonstrated high efficacy of 94.3pc and high safety confirming the data collected in a number of other countries where it is used to protect the population against the coronavirus,” he said.
“The Russian vaccine is an important part of Bahrain’s diversified national portfolio,” he added.
“Use of Sputnik-V is making a significant contribution in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus, resuming normal life and economic activity.”
He listed a number of key advantages of Sputnik-V:
* 97.6pc efficacy based on the analysis of data on the infection rate among those in Russia vaccinated with both the doses from December 5 to March 31;
* The vaccine is based on a proven and well-studied platform of human adenoviral vectors, which cause the common cold and have been around for thousands of years;
* Sputnik-V uses two different vectors for the two shots in a course of vaccination, providing immunity with a longer duration than vaccines using the same delivery mechanism for both shots;
* The safety, efficacy and lack of negative long-term effects of adenoviral vaccines (used against viruses that cause a range of illness including fever, sore throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, diarrhoea and pink eye) have been proven by more than 250 clinical studies over two decades;
* There are no strong allergies caused by Sputnik-V;
* It can be stored in a conventional refrigerator without any need to invest in additional cold-chain infrastructure.
* The price of Sputnik-V is less than $10 per shot, making it affordable around the world.”
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