Russia's Sputnik Light vaccine is 70 pc effective against Delta variant of COVID-19: RDIF

Sputnik Light, Russia's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, has been found to demonstrate 70 per cent efficacy against infection with the Delta variant during the first three months after vaccination.

The vaccine is more than 75 per cent effective among subjects under the age of 60. Sputnik Light also provides much higher efficacy against severe disease and hospitalisations, according to an analysis done by Gamaleya Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology.

Gamaleya Centre is a Russian medical research institute within Russia's Ministry of Health.

Sputnik Light has demonstrated superior efficacy compared with some two-shot vaccines, which have shown a major decline in efficacy against the Delta variant to less than 50 per cent five months after injection.

"Efficacy of the one-shot Sputnik Light vaccine as a booster against the Delta variant for other vaccines will be close to the efficacy against Delta variant of the Sputnik V vaccine: over 83 per cent against infection and over 94 per cent against hospitalization," the Russian Direct Investment Fund said in a statement.

The two-shot Sputnik V vaccine is authorized in 70 countries, with populations totalling over 4 billion people.

The Sputnik Light vaccine is based on the human adenovirus serotype 26, the first component of Sputnik V - the world's first registered vaccine against coronavirus.

The one-shot Sputnik Light vaccine is authorized in more than 15 countries, with ongoing registration processes in another 30 countries.

Sputnik Light is a universal booster for other vaccines: positive data from clinical studies in Argentina and other countries demonstrate high safety and immunogenicity of Sputnik Light administered as a booster shot for vaccines of other producers.

(ANI)