MOSCOW, August 11. /TASS/. The Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus is effective against all known new strains, Alexander Gintsburg, Director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology that developed the jab, reported.

"As evidence from the circulation among the public shows, the vaccine is completely safe and highly effective. It is effective not only immediately against those strains it was developed for but also against the numerous strains that have emerged recently and are constantly attacking us," he said.

The researcher expressed hope that the vaccine will remain just as effective in the future and will protect both Russian residents and the population of those countries where inoculation with this jab is underway.

On Wednesday, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko told journalists that the efficacy of the Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus Delta strain is approximately 83%. He added that its efficacy against a severe course of the novel coronavirus infection surpasses 95%.

"Today the Sputnik V vaccine demonstrates the most effective results on prevention, on fighting the Delta strain. The latest results indicate that the efficacy is about 83%, this is already the Russian data, provided to us courtesy of our clinical colleagues," he said.

The health minister emphasized that the vaccine effectively protects against the severe course of the coronavirus infection. "The vaccine practically prevents the severe course of the novel coronavirus infection by more than 95%, and, importantly, it prevents those serious diseases that require hospitalization. That is, this pharmaceutical is effective now and continues to work," he noted, adding that the vaccine also has a high safety profile.

Sputnik V vaccine

August 11, 2021 marks the first anniversary of Sputnik V’s registration in Russia when it became the first officially certified vaccine against coronavirus worldwide. The export of Sputnik V to other countries began at the end of 2020 with deliveries to Belarus. As of August 2021, Sputnik V has been approved in 69 countries and territories with the total population surpassing 3.7 bln people. It is used for vaccination in more than 50 countries.