Russia begins registration procedures for single-dose vaccine, Sputnik Light – telam

The Russian Ministry of Health on Monday received the necessary documents to register a single-dose Covid-19 vaccine, called Sputnik Light, with the aim of offering a “temporary” solution to the countries most affected by the pandemic, according to the State Register of Documents.

“Sputnik Light, a viral vector-based vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Incoming issue registration date: March 29, 2021,” the document reads. Russian News Agency Sputnik.

Sputnik Light was also produced by the Gamaleya Institute and is a version of Sputnik V, which requires two administrations with an interval of 21 days for full immunization.

Last week Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko announced that Sputnik Light clinical trials have been successfully completed and that the documents were ready to be registered.

Kiril Dimitriev, the director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which funded the development of the already approved Sputnik V, said Sputnik Light was primarily intended for the foreign market and countries with severe disease outbreaks.

While with the Sputnik V vaccine -more than 90% effective against the coronavirus according to the results of the tests- The administration of two doses per patient is envisaged, Sputnik Light requires a single inoculation, he explained.

The efficiency of the “light” version is also lower than that of its older sister: it can reach 85% in some cases, and less in others, Dmitriev said in December.

This vaccine “could become an effective temporary solution for several countries which have reached a peak of the disease … and which are trying to save as many lives as possible,” he said.

So far, around 1.5 million people worldwide have been vaccinated with Sputnik V“

However, for the Russian market, Sputnik V will remain the main vaccine used as part of a large vaccination campaign launched in December by the authorities, according to the RDIF.

Russia is currently facing a second wave of coronavirus, but authorities are currently refusing to institute a new nationwide lockdown.