MOSCOW, November 24. /TASS/. A study by Argentine scientists has confirmed long-lasting protection following vaccination with the Sputnik V shot, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) reported.

"The RDIF is announcing an article published in Vaccine, the official journal of the Japanese Society for Vaccinology, with the results of a long-term study of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus, vaccines by AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and combinations of shots by a team from the National University of San Luis (Argentina). According to the study, Sputnik V forms strong and long-lasting immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus: at control sites, a higher level of IgG-antibodies was detected versus other vaccines 120 and 180 days following the first injection," the fund’s statement said.

The study was based on data from 376 volunteers aged 20-70 from among faculty and students of the National University of San Luis who received at least one shot of a vaccine against coronavirus. The volunteers included those who had the infection before and those who had not been infected with the coronavirus. Blood samples were examined 20, 40, 80, 120 and 180 days following the first injection over a period from July to December 2021.

The Sputnik V vaccine has been certified in 71 countries with a total population surpassing 4 bln while Sputnik Light has been approved in more than 30 countries. Both jabs were developed on the basis of a safe and time-tested technology of human adenoviral vectors and are not associated with such serious adverse effects as myocarditis or pericarditis.