Russia’s Health Ministry has authorized the use of Sputnik Light, a one-shot vaccine said to be even more efficient than two-component vaccines. The jab is the country’s fourth to be authorized since last August.
Sputnik Light is the first component of the widely used Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, its researchers explained. However, the single dose has shown 79.4% efficacy, which “is higher than that of many two-dose vaccines,” the developers said in a statement.
Researchers have analyzed the efficacy rate based on data received from Russia’s mass vaccination program between December 2020 and April 2021. Having studied data taken 28 days after a single injection was administered, they said the infection rate among one-time vaccinated people was just 0.277%. The unvaccinated adult population showed 1.349% infection rate over the same period.
Sputnik Light is a fast and reliable pandemic fighter. It helps to achieve a high level of protection quicker, helping to swiftly defeat virus surges and create lasting protection in the community. pic.twitter.com/oF1s1HrrMR
— Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) May 6, 2021
Developers hope the single dose will help provide faster immunization among larger numbers of people. “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,” said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which funds the vaccine. He also pointed out that Sputnik Light “has an affordable price of less than $10,” and can be easily transported and stored.
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