Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine

The Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine was developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia. It was the world’s first registered combination vector vaccine for preventing COVID-19, receiving approval on 11 August 2020 from the Russian Ministry of Health.

Initially approved in Russia and later in 59 other countries by April 2021, the vaccine faced some questions about its safety and effectiveness before large studies confirmed it worked well. Emergency use of the vaccine began in December 2020 in several countries, including Russia, Argentina, Belarus, Hungary, Serbia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates.

The vaccine is available in two forms: one that needs to be kept frozen and another that can stay at regular refrigerator temperatures. There are also special versions for different uses, such as a freeze-dried form, a lighter version for booster shots, and one specifically for teenagers aged 12 to 17.

Medical uses

The Sputnik V vaccine can be prepared in two ways. It can be stored in a common home freezer at −18 °C or lower, or as a special powder that can stay at normal refrigerator temperatures. This powder needs to be mixed with clean water before use.

The vaccine needs two doses given 21 days apart. One version, called Sputnik Light, uses only one dose and works well for quick outbreaks. It can be kept in a regular fridge.

Effectiveness

How well vaccines work is checked by watching many people in real life, not just in labs. Studies show Sputnik V helps prevent serious illness and death from COVID-19.

A big study in Mexico looked at many people who got different vaccines.

Efficacy

Scientists test vaccines in labs to see how often they stop people from getting sick. Early tests showed Sputnik V was very good at preventing illness, but some experts have questions about the data.

Adverse effects

Most side effects from the Sputnik V vaccine are mild and similar to other vaccines that use a special virus to help the body build protection. These effects are usually not serious. Unlike some other vaccines, there is no evidence that Sputnik V causes a rare health problem called vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia.

However, one report from Argentina mentioned a young woman who faced serious blood clotting issues after getting the Sputnik V vaccine.

Pharmacology

Gam-COVID-Vac is a viral vector vaccine that uses two special kinds of human adenoviruses: Ad26 and Ad5. These viruses have been changed so they cannot make more copies of themselves, but they carry a piece of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that helps our bodies learn to fight the real virus. This is similar to how two other COVID-19 vaccines work.

Each dose of Gam-COVID-Vac has a very specific number of these tiny virus particles, about 100,000,000,000 of them. The viruses are made in special cells called HEK 293 cells, which help produce the vaccine safely.

Chemistry

The Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine contains several important ingredients in both of its doses. These include Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, which acts as a buffer, Sodium chloride (a type of salt), Sucrose (sugar), Magnesium chloride hexahydrate, Disodium EDTA dihydrate, Polysorbate 80, Ethanol 95%, and water. The vaccine does not contain any additional helpers called adjuvants or other extra ingredients.

Manufacturing

Scientists use special cells called HEK 293 cells to make large amounts of the viruses used in the vaccine. They have rules to keep the number of active virus pieces very low in each dose.

There are two ways to make the vaccine. One way is easier and cheaper to produce, while the other takes more time but is better for storing and moving around. This was especially important for places in Russia that are hard to reach.

By August 2020, many countries had asked for over a billion doses of the vaccine. Production began, and three factories could make about a million doses each month. By the end of 2020, plans were to make 3–5 million doses.

By March 2021, the vaccine was being made in several countries, including India, China, South Korea, and Brazil. In March 2021, Russia planned to make about 33 million doses, with only a small part sent out of the country.

In India, the first dose was given in May 2021. Argentina became the first country in Latin America to start making the vaccine in June 2021. By the end of 2021, over 277 million doses had been made, most of them in Russia.

In February 2022, because of the conflict in Ukraine, some countries put restrictions on the group responsible for the vaccine, which affected its future use around the world.

History

The Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine was created by a team of scientists at the government-supported Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. The team was led by Denis Logunov, who also worked on vaccines for the Ebolavirus and the MERS-coronavirus.

In May 2020, the institute announced that they had developed the vaccine without serious side effects. By August 2020, they finished the first two stages of testing with 38 patients each. One of these tests used the version of the vaccine that later got approval.

During the tests, 38 people who got one or two doses of the vaccine produced antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. On August 11, 2020, the Russian Health Minister announced that the vaccine was approved for public use. The approval happened before the third stage of testing was finished, but this was allowed under special conditions. The vaccine could not be used widely in Russia until January 1, 2021, but it could be given to some groups, like medical workers and older people, before that.

In June 2021, the creators announced that they had made and tested a nasal vaccine for children aged 8 to 12, and they planned to release it in September 2021.

Society and culture

Economics

In Russia

The vaccine was offered for free to people in Russia and Kazakhstan. It cost less than $10 for each dose internationally, which was much cheaper than other vaccines. Over one billion doses were expected to be made in 2021 outside of Russia.

Doctors, teachers, and other workers were first to get the vaccine because they were more likely to get sick. At first, only people over 60 could get it, but later everyone could. People were called by text message to get the vaccine. Some health questions were asked before getting the shot. The vaccine was given after being taken out of the freezer for about 15 minutes.

By early December 2020, over 100,000 people in Russia had received the vaccine, including volunteers and medical workers. Russia planned to give two million doses in December 2020.

Outside of Russia

Russia worked to share its vaccine with other countries. By December 2020, they had orders for over one billion doses. Countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Israel agreed to get the vaccine. In January 2021, Argentina’s president was the first leader in Latin America to get the vaccine.

Public opinion polls

Surveys showed that many people in Canada and the United States were unsure about taking the Russian vaccine. However, in Germany, especially in East Germany, more people were willing to take it.

Resale controversy

There were reports that some countries paid much more for the vaccine than Russia asked for. This caused concern about unfair pricing.

Scientific assessment

Health experts said that all vaccines need careful testing before use. Some scientists felt the vaccine was approved too quickly. However, later studies showed the vaccine worked well and was safe for most people. Some people reported mild side effects like pain or fever after getting the vaccine.