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COVID19: EU to assess effective Sputnik vaccine

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Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V, named after the first artificial space satellite, has been approved in 23 countries with the EU expected to examine its application this month, Russian Ambassador Stanislav Osadchiy told the Cyprus News Agency.

He said that the efficacy of Sputnik V reaches 91.6%, while among volunteers over the age of 60 it reaches 91.8%.

The vaccine, he said, was also approved for the elderly, noting that coronavirus antibodies after being vaccinated with Sputnik V have been detected in 98% of those vaccinated according to the peer-reviewed general medical journal The Lancet.

It has been given the green light in 23 countries including; Argentina, Bolivia, Serbia, Algeria, Venezuela, Paraguay, Hungary, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Tunisia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Lebanon and Pakistan.

At the beginning of February, around 2 million people have been vaccinated in Russia, including around 400,000 residents of Moscow.

On 20 January, the Russian Direct Investment Fund applied for the vaccine to be approved by the EU. It expects the examination procedure to begin this month.

The Ambassador said that politics, unfortunately, is interfering but the only important thing is their effectiveness, safety and swift availability, and not geopolitical struggles.

Sputnik V vaccine will be produced in India, Brazil, China, and South Korea to supply the world market. The cost and price for one dose for foreign markets will be around €9.

Several European Union states – Austria, Slovakia, Germany have expressed their interest in the Russian vaccine, while Hungary granted approval and is buying it.

Osadchiy said that according to the manufacturer of Sputnik V, the vaccine would be effective even against new coronavirus mutations while immunity and resilience will last up to two years, maybe longer.

He recalled that a second vaccine was registered in Russia in October 2020.

According to the results of the first and second clinical trials, the “EpiVacCorona” vaccine, has an efficacy which reaches 100%, adding that storage temperature is between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius. (source CNA)