The results of the final third phase of clinical trials of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine demonstrated 91.6% efficacy against SARS-CoV-2. The conclusions, which are reported in a press release received by the editorial board of “Lenta.ru”, are disclosed in the leading medical journal Lancet.
19,866 people took part in testing the vaccine, who received the first and second doses of the drug or placebo. By the end of the study, 78 cases of COVID-19 had been reported. For people over 60, the effectiveness of Sputnik V was 91.8 percent, which did not differ statistically from the data obtained in a group of volunteers from 18 to 60 years old.
It is noted that the vaccine provides full protection against severe cases of coronavirus infection. Only 20 people who received a placebo developed severe COVID-19. 98 percent of the subjects developed humoral immunity, and 100 percent – cellular immunity. At the same time, the level of neutralizing antibodies in those who have been vaccinated is higher than in those who have been ill.
Most of the side effects were mild and were expressed as general malaise, headache, low temperature and reactions at the injection site. There are no severe allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock.