On December 17, Russian officials announced that the country’s vaccine, Sputnik V, is effective against the Omicron variant, with specific details to be released by Russian scientists next week.
The Sputnik V vaccine works well, even more effectively than other vaccines against the Omicron variant.
In a speech at the Congress of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Russia on December 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated, the Russian vaccine Sputnik V works well, even more effectively than other vaccines against the Omicron variant. The Kremlin leader also emphasized that Russia is ready to provide vaccines to other countries for booster shots, including European nations.
Earlier that day, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko reported that Russia has not recorded any severe cases related to the Omicron variant.
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova announced that Russia has identified 25 patients infected with Omicron in the capital regions of Moscow, Moscow Province, Saint Petersburg, and Rostov-on-Don.
Ms. Golikova noted that Russian scientists and vaccine developers are testing various vaccines to assess their effectiveness against the new Omicron variant. It is expected that next week, Russian scientists will provide conclusions on this matter. If new types of vaccines are needed, they will be registered in accordance with current regulations.
On December 14, the director of the Gamaleya Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Mr. Ginzburg, emphasized that the Sputnik V vaccine will protect against the Omicron variant, but the level of protection remains unclear. According to Mr. Ginzburg, staff at the Gamaleya Center are studying the level of protection offered by the Sputnik V vaccine against the Omicron variant. If the protective capability against infection decreases by tenfold, consideration will need to be given to modifying the vaccine.
