{"id":108183,"date":"2021-02-27T13:51:17","date_gmt":"2021-02-27T13:51:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/?p=108183"},"modified":"2021-02-27T13:51:17","modified_gmt":"2021-02-27T13:51:17","slug":"russian-scientists-say-sputnik-v-performs-well-against-covid-mutations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/russian-scientists-say-sputnik-v-performs-well-against-covid-mutations\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian scientists say Sputnik V performs well against COVID mutations"},"content":{"rendered":"
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A Russian trial testing the effectiveness of revaccination with the Sputnik V shot to protect against new mutations of the coronavirus is producing strong results, researchers said on Saturday.<\/p> Last month President Vladimir Putin ordered a review by March 15 of Russian-produced vaccines for their effectiveness against new variants spreading in different parts of the world.<\/p>\n \u201c(A) recent study carried out by the Gamaleya Centre in Russia showed that revaccination with Sputnik V vaccine is working very well against new coronavirus mutations, including the UK and South African strains of coronavirus,\u201d said Denis Logunov, a deputy director of the centre, which developed the Sputnik V shot.<\/p>\n Results of the trial are expected to be published soon, but this was the first indication of how the tests are going. No further details were available yet.<\/p>\n So-called viral vector shots – such as Sputnik V and a shot developed by AstraZeneca – use harmless modified viruses as vehicles, or vectors, to carry genetic information that helps the body build immunity against future infections.<\/p>\n The revaccination used the same Sputnik V shot, based upon the same adenovirus vectors. The trial indicated this did not impact effectiveness, Logunov said in a statement to Reuters.<\/p>\n Some scientists have raised the possible risk that the body also develops immunity to the vector itself, recognising it as an intruder and trying to destroy it.<\/p>\n But developers of Sputnik V disagreed this would pose long-term problems.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe that vector-based vaccines are actually better for future revaccinations than vaccines based on other platforms,\u201d Logunov said.<\/p>\n He said that the researchers found that antibodies specific to the vectors used by the shot – which could generate an anti-vector reaction and undermine the work of the shot itself – waned \u201cas early as 56 days after vaccination\u201d.<\/p>\n This conclusion was based on a trial of a vaccine against Ebola developed earlier by the Gamaleya Institute using the same approach as for the Sputnik V shot.<\/p>\n Vector immunity is not a new issue but has come under renewed scrutiny as companies including Johnson & Johnson anticipate regular COVID-19 vaccinations, like annual influenza shots, may be needed to combat new variants of the coronavirus.<\/p>\n