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Coronavirus pandemic

Combination of Sputnik V with AstraZeneca to protect from COVID-19 for 2 years — scientist

Restrictions due to the coronavirus will possibly be lifted by November 2021, according to the Sputnik V developer

© Donat Sorokin/TASS

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AstraZeneca and Sputnik V investor and developer sign agreement of cooperation on vaccines

MOSCOW, December 28. /TASS/. A combination of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine and a preparation by British-Swedish AstraZeneca will protect against the coronavirus infection for two years, Director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry Alexander Gintsburg said in an interview with the Russia-24 TV channel on Monday.

"Memory cells will form much better as a result of using such a hybrid two-component vaccine. And the vaccine, quite obviously, will accordingly protect an inoculated individual not for 3-4 months but for at least two years," he said.

According to him, the combination of the vaccines will also give an opportunity to elevate the immunity level which will appear as a result of using the preparation.

Earlier, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the Gamaleya National Research Center, R-Pharm and AstraZeneca signed a memorandum on cooperation in the sphere of developing a vaccine against the coronavirus.

Restrictions due to the coronavirus

Restrictions due to the coronavirus will possibly be lifted by November 2021, Alexander Gintsburg thinks. "The epidemiology textbooks say: 'As soon as we vaccinate 70% of the population, the epidemic process will become manageable with the use of a vaccine, an uncontrolled transmission of this viral strain between people will stop.’ From this moment on, it will be possible to live responsibly in the conditions without these epidemiological restrictions that are currently forced on us by the epidemic situation. I hope this time in our country will come at some point by November of next year," he said.

The scientist noted that it is possible to draw such conclusions based on the production volumes of the Russian vaccine.

He also emphasized that it is necessary for residents to realize that the only way to keep safe from the infection is to get vaccinated. "And all these claims that ‘it won’t touch me’ or ‘I will have a light form and develop immunity’ are simply scientifically unsound," the researcher added.

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