MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/. The Gamaleya Center will publish its data on the ability of Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines to neutralize the omicron strain within seven days, according to a statement published on the vaccine website on Wednesday.

"No conclusions can be made about the efficacy of Sputnik against the omicron strain on the basis of incorrect serum samples. In the next seven days, the Gamaleya Center will publish its own positive data, based on representative serum samples, on neutralizing properties against the omicron [strain] both for the Sputnik V vaccine and for the Sputnik Light single-component vaccine as a booster dose," the statement says.

The developer of the vaccine noted that in a recently published small study on the efficacy of the Sputnik vaccine against the omicron strain, the authors deliberately used serum samples that cannot be representative.

The developer clarified that in that study, Sputnik samples were used with the ability to neutralize the virus, which is lower than that one of the samples of the AstraZeneca vaccine. However, based on the results of a larger study conducted in Argentina, in which representative serum samples were used, the Sputnik vaccine showed 1.8 times higher serum neutralizing titers.

On Tuesday, head of the Gamaleya Center Alexander Gintsburg explained that if the efficacy of the vaccine against the omicron strain is 2-6 times lower than against the Wuhan strain, then there will be no need to change the drug.

On November 26, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the B.1.1.529 variant identified in South Africa as a "Variant of Concern" and assigned it the Greek letter Omicron. In its statement, the WHO noted that "this variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning." The highest number of those infected with it has been detected in South Africa.