Sputnik V vaccine (Photo: sputnikvaccine.com) 
As the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread across the globe, researchers have suggested that Russia’s Sputnik V jab offers strong protection against the mutated strain. According to a study conducted by the Spallanzani Institute in Italy in collaboration with the Russian Direct Investment Fund, this vaccine shows more than double the virus neutralising activity displayed by Pfizer’s vaccine.
“Study, conducted in equal lab conditions in Spallanzani Inst in Italy on comparable sera samples, shows Sputnik V induces 2.1x higher virus-neutralising antibodies titers than 2 doses of Pfizer jab in total, 2.6x higher 3 months after vaccination,” read a tweet on the vaccine’s official handle.
According to a press note released by the Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology, mix and match boosting with Sputnik Light is the “best solution” to increase other vaccines efficacy and extend the period of protection against the Omicron variant.
“Sputnik Light is a universal booster to other vaccines thanks to the optimal configuration of Sputnik vaccine’s adenoviral platform which provides better protection against Omicron and other mutations as demonstrated in multiple studies,” reads an excerpt from the statement.
4/5 Spallanzani study: Among top quartile of people with high RBD-specific IgG antibodies 100% vaccinated with Sputnik V were able to neutralize Omicron variant in comparison to 83.3% of individuals vaccinated with #Pfizer pic.twitter.com/xmlxEB7pi6
— Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) January 20, 2022
“The adenoviral platform has shown high efficacy in fighting mutations of Covid previously. The partnership of different platforms is the key and heterologous (‘mix and match’) boosting with Sputnik Light will help strengthen the efficacy of other vaccines in light of combined Delta and Omicron challenge,” said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of RDIF.
Sputnik V has been authorised for use in more than 70 nations including India. But while the country recently began inoculating co-morbid senior citizens and frontline workers with a third ‘precautionary’ dose of vaccine. With the Centre instructing that the third vaccine dose would be the same as taken earlier, those inoculated with Sputnik V remain ineligible at the moment. While Sputnik Light has been greenlit for use in more than 30 countries, it is not yet available in India.