• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • News
    • COVID-19

    In Brief: Sputnik V vaccine has 91.6% efficacy, The Lancet finds

    But there are caveats — the study could not assess the duration of protection, and further research is needed to understand the efficacy of the vaccine in asymptomatic patients.

    By Jenny Lei Ravelo // 02 February 2021
    The Sputnik V vaccine. Photo by: Agustin Marcarian / Reuters

    Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine for the new coronavirus has 91.6% efficacy, according to interim analysis of data from its ongoing phase III trial in the country published Tuesday in The Lancet.

    The analysis is based on close to 20,000 participants, of which 14,964 participants received two doses of the vaccine, and 4,902 received a placebo. Twenty-one days after the first dose, 16 participants in the vaccine group were confirmed to have COVID-19 as well as 62 participants in the placebo group. There were 2,144 participants aged more than 60 years old, and vaccine efficacy for this group was 91.8%.

    The study was also 100% effective against moderate or severe COVID-19, based on analysis 21 days after the first dose.

    Why it matters: Much of the known efficacy about the Russia vaccine were based on press releases and press briefings conducted by the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the Gamaleya Institute, raising suspicions on the validity of the efficacy claims. Researchers, including the World Health Organization, have been asking for the results to be published in a peer-reviewed journal for independent scrutiny and transparency.

    The study’s caveats: COVID-19 was detected only in participants who self-reported their symptoms and later confirmed to have COVID-19 based on a polymerase chain reaction test. So the efficacy analysis is only based on symptomatic cases of COVID-19, and further research is needed for asymptomatic cases and transmission. The study could not assess the duration of protection either.

    There was little diversity in study participants. This will need further study, as well as the vaccine’s efficacy and safety in those younger than 18 years old and among pregnant women.

    On safety: Three of the participants in the vaccine group who received at least one dose of the vaccine died. But none of the deaths “were deemed to be associated with vaccinations,” according to the study.

    What’s next: The trial is ongoing to reach a total of 40,000 participants. But the research team also plans to investigate the effectiveness of the vaccine when given as a single dose.

    More reading:

    ► COVAX will be a 'small part' of Russia's Sputnik V portfolio, fund CEO says

    ► Opinion: The unspoken COVID-19 vaccine challenges — distribution and corruption

    • Global Health
    • Research
    • The Lancet
    • Russian Federation
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

    About the author

    • Jenny Lei Ravelo

      Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo

      Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.

    Search for articles

    Related Stories

    Global healthUSAID funding cuts jeopardize breakthrough drugs and research

    USAID funding cuts jeopardize breakthrough drugs and research

    Devex CheckUpDevex CheckUp: USAID cuts threaten global health research

    Devex CheckUp: USAID cuts threaten global health research

    The Trump EffectUS aid tracker: Following Trump’s cuts to international development

    US aid tracker: Following Trump’s cuts to international development

    Most Read

    • 1
      The power of diagnostics to improve mental health
    • 2
      Lasting nutrition and food security needs new funding — and new systems
    • 3
      Opinion: Urgent action is needed to close the mobile gender gap
    • 4
      Supporting community-driven solutions to address breast cancer
    • 5
      The top local employers in Europe
    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement