Scientists from the Gamaleya Research Institute in Russia have developed a modified version of the ‘Sputnik V’ COVID-19 vaccine to combat the new Delta variant first found and identified in India.
On Thursday, Alexander Gintsburg, the institute’s Director, said, “There is already a vaccine design in the refrigerator.” However, Gintsburg added that the efficacy of the modified vaccine cannot be determined just yet. “Everyone has started to make a vaccine based on the Delta strain’s sequence, but whether it will be better than already existing vaccines against the Delta strain, no one can say,” he said.
The modified version has to cross the 83% efficacy rate of the original Sputnik V vaccine to be more effective.
The development comes as Russia has recorded a spike in COVID-19 infections and an increased mortality rate due to the highly contagious Delta variant. In July, Rinat Maksyutov, the Director of Vector Research Center, claimed that the Delta variant was the deadliest virus strain in Russia. He said that the strain had penetrated most Russian regions and was found in 95% of cases.
The nation’s fatality toll is among the highest globally, both in absolute terms and adjusted for population size. Russia’s total fatality count since the start of the pandemic is around 531,000. On Friday, the country reported 20,992 new cases and 785 deaths.
Meduza mentioned that according to the State Statistics Service report, Moscow registered 16,406 deaths in June 2021, 7,138 more than in June 2019.
Russia’s stunted vaccination rates underpin these numbers. Although Russia was the first country to approve a COVID-19 vaccine, only 22.9% of its population is fully vaccinated.
The Conversation explored the reason behind the vaccine scepticism within Russia and suggested a cycle of mistrust that stems from a complex history of being “passive subjects [of the Soviet regime] to responsible consumers [who have individual agency].” “Vaccine scepticism, which was intensifying globally during the 1990s, became one way through which to express resistance to lingering Soviet ideology,” the article reads. Therefore, it mentioned that vaccine scepticism in Russia has less to do with apprehension for medicine and science and more to do with the Russian state itself.
In an attempt to counter this scepticism among the citizens and the subsequent low vaccination rates, the Russian government has been trying to incentivise the vaccination process. It has been reported that Russia will launch a nationwide lottery for vaccinated citizens with prize money of 100,000 rubles ($1360).
Russian Scientists Develop Modified ‘Sputnik V’ Vaccine to Combat Delta Variant
Scientists from the Gamaleya Research Institute in Russia have developed a modified version of the ‘Sputnik V’ COVID-19 vaccine to fight the new Delta variant.
August 20, 2021
SOURCE: SHUTTERSTOCK