One-shot Sputnik Light shows 70% efficacy against Covid-19 Delta variant & strong potency as booster for other vaccines – study

An extensive new study has shown that Russia’s one-dose Sputnik Light offers high protection against the dangerous Delta variant of Covid-19, and significantly boosts the immune response if used as a booster for other vaccines.

Sputnik Light is essentially the first component of the two-dose Sputnik V, Russia’s leading jab against Covid-19, which has been used in dozens of country's worldwide. A new study submitted to the medical research portal medRxiv this week, and expected to be published soon, shows the benefits of the one-shot formula, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced on Wednesday. The RDIF funded the development of the shot and is involved in its international marketing.

Sputnik Light “administered alone has demonstrated 70% efficacy against infection from the Delta variant of coronavirus during the first three months after vaccination,” it said in a press release. “The vaccine is 75% effective among subjects under the age of 60” and offers superior defense against severe symptoms of the disease.

The conclusions are based on data received from 28,000 participants of a study which was conducted in Moscow in July. It was carried out by the developer of the vaccine, the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology, and “demonstrates that Sputnik Light remains highly effective, months after vaccination,” its Deputy Director Denis Logunov said.

“The vaccine’s one-shot regimen makes it a strong solution for countries with low vaccination rates. Sputnik Light can also be successfully used to maintain existing herd immunity as a booster shot.”

A small-scale study in Azerbaijan this year showed at least a fourfold increase in antibodies to the spike protein of the virus in 85% of participants of a clinical trial, the RDIF reported in September. Participants were given AstraZeneca’s Covid shot and later received a Sputnik Light booster.

The Delta variant has become the dominant strain of SARS-CoV-2 due to its higher transmissibility compared to other strains. Studies of various vaccines have shown that the protection they offer diminishes in months, especially against the Delta strain.

Vaccine producers and many governments believe that regular Covid-19 boosters will be necessary to keep the disease in check. The RDIF advocates a ‘mix & match approach’ to booster shots, using vaccines based on traditional technology like Sputnik V as a booster for those that use the more modern mRNA vector, like Pfizer and Moderna.

Deciding which shots are selected as boosters – which can result in considerable profits for the producers – can be difficult. Last month, drama surrounded the US Food and Drug Administration’s deliberation over the approval of the Pfizer vaccine for booster shots. Studies had shown that its efficacy against the Delta variant dropped from 93% to 53% five months after vaccination. It was ultimately given the green light for some high-risk categories.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!