Russia authorizes use of single-dose Sputnik Light COVID vaccine

Russia on Thursday authorized using the single-dose Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced.

“The single-dose Sputnik Light vaccine demonstrated 79.4% efficacy according to analysed data taken from 28 days after the injection was administered as part of Russia’s mass vaccination programme between 5 December 2020 and 15 April 2021,” a statement by the RDIF said, Reuters reported.

The vaccine can be made for less than $10 a dose and is easily transportable, the RDIF said.

It would also be easier to vaccinate a group of people since it is only one shot and doesn’t require a person to come back for a second dose.

The vaccine was made by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute and is in its phase 3 clinical trial with around 7,000 people, the RDIF said.

“The single-dose regimen solves the challenge of immunizing large groups in a shorter time, which is especially important during the acute phase of the spread of coronavirus, achieving herd immunity faster,” RDIF head Kirill Dmitriev said.

Russia’s first vaccine was the two-dose Sputnik V, which is 97.6 percent effective against the coronavirus, Reuters noted.

However, countries like Brazil, which is being hit hard by the coronavirus, said they would not order Russia’s vaccine due to “flaws … identified in all stages of clinical studies.”

The European Union also said they won’t order Russia’s vaccine until the European Medicines Agency approves it.

Russia has 8 million people vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine and says the Sputnik V vaccine will still be the main one used in Russia.