Sputnik V Vaccine

Sputnik V Vaccine, the Russian COVID-19 vaccine, is the world’s first Covid-registered vaccine and is already registered in more than 60 countries. The vaccine has been developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology. In India, along with import, Hyderabad-based Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL) and a few other pharmaceutical companies will manufacture the vaccine.

Sputnik V Vaccine is administered by a healthcare professional into a muscle (intramuscularly) and should not be self-administered. Sputnik V Vaccine is given in two doses, 21 days apart. However, unlike any other Covid-19 vaccine, both doses of Sputnik V Vaccine are different from one another. This difference in composition of doses helps make the immune response stronger thereby providing extended protection against Covid-19.

Sputnik V Vaccine may cause certain mild and temporary side effects such as injection site pain, tiredness, and fever. If these persist or get worse, let the doctor know. The doctor may help with ways to reduce or prevent these side effects.

To ensure safety, it is important to let the doctor know about your medical conditions. Also, let them know about the medications you are taking.

Prevention of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Your doctor or nurse will give you this medicine. Kindly do not self administer.

SARS-CoV-2 virus (that causes Covid-19) uses proteins called spike proteins to enter the cells of our body. Sputnik V Vaccine contains two different adenovirus vectors (rAd26 and rAd5), delivered separately in the first and second dose respectively. These contain the gene for making the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein but have been modified so that they cannot cause the disease. Thus once vaccinated, the body produces antibodies against the coronavirus that helps you fight the virus if exposed. This means there is a reduced risk of developing the illness and its consequences. Using different vectors boosts the immune system even more than using the same version twice and may give longer-lasting protection against the virus when exposed to it.

Information not available at the moment. Please check back later.

Sputnik V Vaccine is a 2-dose vaccination regimen. The second dose is administered 21 days after the first dose.

Sputnik V Vaccine is given into the muscle (intramuscularly) of the upper arm.

In addition to vaccination, observe other control measures such as social distancing, mask donning, and hand-washing.

Sputnik V Vaccine is currently not meant to be administered in children as safety and efficacy are not yet established.

Q. Is Sputnik V Vaccine safe and effective?

Sputnik V Vaccine is one of the three vaccines in the world with reported efficacy of over 90%. Furthermore, the clinical trial data published in The Lancet suggests that no serious adverse events were detected. Most adverse effects were mild, with flu-like symptoms, injection site reactions, headache, and fatigue as the most common side effects.

Q. Can Sputnik V Vaccine be given to children?

Sputnik V Vaccine has not been studied for safety and effectiveness in the children/pediatric population so far. As per the current guidelines, only people aged 18 years or older are advised to receive this vaccine. Therefore, it is advised not to give any COVID-19 vaccine to children till we have enough data available.

Q. Is it important to take both the doses of Sputnik V Vaccine?

Yes. It is extremely important to get both the doses of Sputnik V Vaccine. This is because Sputnik V Vaccine contains two different virus vectors in each dose and this is what makes it unique. Both the vectors are weakened human adenovirus, namely rAd26 and rAd5, and they cause common cold symptoms such as cold, fever, cough, watery eyes, sneezing, etc, in humans. These are already known viruses, which are easy to study and have been known for a longer time to our health experts. Moreover, it was seen in the conducted trials that this kind of dosing produced better and longer-lasting immunity in people who received both the doses, 21 days apart. So, for best results, you are advised to take both the doses of Sputnik V Vaccine.

Q. What are the most common side effects of Sputnik V Vaccine?

The most common side effects of Sputnik V Vaccine are pain at the injection site, generalized tiredness, and fever. However, these are mild and usually resolve with time. If they bother you or do not go away, please consult your doctor. Your doctor will prescribe some medicines or may suggest ways to cope up with these side effects.

Q. How can Sputnik V Vaccine be stored?

As per Russian guidelines, Sputnik V Vaccine can be stored at a temperature of +2 to +8 degrees Celsius, which allows for easy distribution worldwide.

Q. What is the efficacy of Sputnik V Vaccine?

Sputnik V Vaccine is one of the three vaccines globally, having an efficacy of above 90%, the other two being Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. The actual efficacy of the vaccine was clocked at 91.6% by the analysis of data received from 19,800+ volunteers who were administered with both doses.

Q. What are the other leading vaccines that are approved to be used worldwide?

So far, 14 vaccines have been approved in at least 1 country. The other leading vaccines, except Sputnik V Vaccine, that are being used worldwide are Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford/Astrazeneca, Moderna, Janssen (Johnson and Johnson), Covaxin, and Covishield. Janssen, AstraZeneca, Covishield, and Sputnik are all based on non-replicating viral vector technology. Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech are RNA-based while Covaxin uses an inactivated protein subunit. Irrespective of the technology being used, all the vaccines aim at preventing Covid-19 and scientists are still studying as well as developing more vaccines to fight against the global pandemic. While most of the vaccines are given in two doses, Janssen is a single-shot vaccine.

Q. I already got infected with COVID-19 once. Do I still need to get vaccinated?

Yes. People who have already been infected with COVID-19 should still get vaccinated unless told otherwise by their healthcare provider. Even if you’ve had a previous infection, the vaccine acts as a booster that strengthens the immune response. There have also been some cases of people getting re-infected with COVID-19, which makes getting vaccinated even more important.

Q. Does vaccination with Sputnik V Vaccine protect me against newer strains/mutated versions of the COVID-19 virus?

Yes. All vaccines are expected to provide a reasonable amount of protection against the newer strains/mutated versions of the COVID-19 virus also. The body responds to vaccination by making more than one type of antibodies, that effectively destroy the virus. Based on the currently available data, the mutations as reported, are unlikely to make the vaccine ineffective and protect an individual against COVID-19 effectively.

Q. What is Emergency Use Authorization?

Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) or permission for restricted use is a declaration issued by Indian regulators in alignment with global guidelines, to use certain vaccines, medicines, or devices to diagnose, treat or prevent a serious medical condition (such as COVID-19 in the current scenario) in case there is an outbreak of such an illness that poses threat to public health. Regulatory authorities may not approve the use of any such medical measures but may still allow it to be used against the illness weighing the benefits against the risks involved. However, there are continuous lab assessments and clinical trials to check on the safety, effectiveness, and quality of the vaccines.

Q. What is COVID-19?

Coronavirus disease 2019, better known as COVID-19, is an illness of the lungs caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2), which is seen to infect humans for the very first time. COVID-19 is a highly infectious viral disease that spreads from one person to another at a very fast pace. Persons suffering from COVID-19 are likely to have breathing difficulties, fever, and cough as the major symptoms.

In Prevention of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Sputnik V Vaccine is used for active immunization against Covid-19 disease in adults. It is given as a two-dose regime. So, make sure to complete the entire dosing schedule. It is considered to have an efficacy of more than 90% and no serious side effects have been reported so far after taking Sputnik V Vaccine. Getting vaccinated is more of social responsibility and plays a major role in contributing our part to save lives.Additionally, take all the necessary precautions to ensure your safety, such as wearing a face mask, avoiding crowded places, washing your hands or using a hand sanitizer at regular intervals, and maintaining social distancing whenever possible.

Most side effects do not require any medical attention and disappear as your body adjusts to the medicine. Consult your doctor if they persist or if you’re worried about them

Fever

Tiredness

Injection site pain

Alcohol:CAUTION

Caution is advised when consuming alcohol with Sputnik V Vaccine. Please consult your doctor.

Pregnancy:CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR

Information regarding the use of Sputnik V Vaccine during pregnancy is not available. Please consult your doctor.

Breast feeding:CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR

Information regarding the use of Sputnik V Vaccine during breastfeeding is not available. Please consult your doctor.

Driving:CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR

It is not known whether Sputnik V Vaccine alters the ability to drive. Do not drive if you experience any symptoms that affect your ability to concentrate and react.

Kidney:CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR

There is limited information available on the use of Sputnik V Vaccine in patients with kidney disease. Please consult your doctor.

Liver:CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR

There is limited information available on the use of Sputnik V Vaccine in patients with liver disease. Please consult your doctor.

Sputnik V: The first registered vaccine against COVID-19 . view

Baraniuk C. Covid-19: What do we know about Sputnik V and other Russian vaccines? BMJ. 2021;372:n743. view

Jones I, Roy P. Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine candidate appears safe and effective. Lancet. 2021;397:642-643. view

World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease : Vaccines. view

Barcelona Institute for Global Health. FAQs on COVID-19 Vaccines. view

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Different COVID-19 Vaccines. . view