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Coronavirus pandemic

COVID-19 antibodies developed by people over 60 after vaccination may be less effective

On October 13, the Russian Health Ministry’s press service informed that the ministry had approved separate clinical trials of the Russian "Sputnik-V" COVID-19 vaccine on people over 60 years of age

© Sergei Karpukhin/TASS

MOSCOW, October 28. /TASS/. People over 60 will develop COVID-19 antibodies after vaccination, however, they may be less effective than those produced by younger people, head of the Gamaleya Federal Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Alexander Gintsburg told TASS on Wednesday.

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On October 13, the Russian Health Ministry’s press service informed that the ministry had approved separate clinical trials of the Russian "Sputnik-V" COVID-19 vaccine on people over 60 years of age.

"Vaccination has definitely started, a certain number of people aged 60, 70, maybe even 80 has been vaccinated. We do not expect anything out of the ordinary, there will be no additional side effects, they will develop antibodies. The only thing is to what extent the antibodies will neutralize the virus: younger people develop antibodies that interact with the virus very well, while the elderly develop antibodies that interact with the virus much less - dozens or even hundreds times less," Gintsburg explained.

The expert added that the elderly may develop the same side effects as younger people after vaccination: an increase in body temperature, headache and muscle ache.

On August 11, Russia became the first country to register a coronavirus vaccine, which was named "Sputnik V." Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko informed that the vaccine created by the N. F. Gamaleya Federal Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology had shown its effectiveness and safety on the outcomes of clinical trials. It was created on a platform that had been used for the development of a number of other vaccines. On September 9, first volunteers got the vaccine shot within the post-registration trials stage. In total, 40,000 volunteers are taking part in the trials, 10,000 of whom will receive a placebo.

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