Russia said that Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine was “95% effective”.
Russia on Tuesday said that its Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine was “95% effective” and would be easier to store and cheaper than other COVID-19 vaccines.
This, as the global race heated up in order to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.
The said announcement from Russia came as some COVID-19 vaccine makers worldwide published its preliminary data showing efficacy rates of 90% and higher.
Countries were hoping to start vaccinating their populations by end of 2020 or in early 2021 in order to stop the pandemic.
Russia was one of the first vaccine makers to announce the development of a COVID-19 vaccine in August – named as Sputnik V – but before the start of its final clinical trials.
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The vaccine’s developers on Tuesday said in a statement that preliminary data after clinical trials involving thousands of volunteers showed “an efficacy of the vaccine above 95 percent” after a second dose.
The Gamaleya research center, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), and Russia’s health ministry said in the statement that they expected the COVID-19 vaccine to record an “even higher effectiveness” after its next analysis.
“No unexpected adverse events were identified as part of the research,” it said, although some of those vaccinated suffered short-term effects including weakness, fever, headache, and fatigue.
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The two-dose COVID-19 vaccine from Russia would be available on international markets for less than USD 10 per dose and it would be free for Russian citizens.
Moreover, the COVID-19 vaccine from Russia could be stored at between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius instead of the temperatures far below freezing required for other COVID-19 vaccines.
Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech announced that their jointly-developed COVID-19 vaccine was 95% effective, while Moderna last week said that early results showed that its vaccine was 94.5% effective.
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