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After Peter Szijjártó agreed on friday In Moscow, with Russia’s Health Minister Mikhail Murasko on the delivery of Sputnik V vaccines in Hungary, it is worth reviewing what we know so far about the vaccine developed in Russia.
What her name
Sputnik’s official name is Gam-COVID-Blind. The name is formed by the name of the developer Gamaleja Institute, the virus and the vaccine. Sputnik V (not 5, but “vé”) was invented for branding purposes, it was the name of the first Russian satellite launched.
Where did you start
Sputnik’s clinical trials began in June 2020, and in August the Russian pharmaceutical authority conditionally approved its use in Russia. The scientific world has outraged that
the drug was approved before Phase 3 of the clinical trials began, that is, testing on tens of thousands of samples.
The vaccine was also criticized by researchers for not being able to read the results of Phase 3 studies in a medical journal for a long time. Clinical trials have been conducted in various countries from India through Belarus and the United Arab Emirates to Venezuela. In December 2020, AstraZeneca and the Russian manufacturer announced that they would jointly develop their vaccine. Both vaccines are vector-based.
Where have they been vaccinated?
Following the August approval of the Russians, Belarus approved the use of the vaccine on December 22, followed by Argentina the next day. To date, Algeria, Bolivia, the Palestinian Authority, Paraguay, Serbia, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela have also granted licenses. At first, the European Union showed no interest in the drug, but due to the very slow arrival of vaccines through the joint EU procurement, preliminary negotiations on the acquisition of the Russian product were started. So far, about a million and a half people have been vaccinated with Sputnik, the majority in Russia.
How did you get a permit at home?
Hungary became interested in Sputnik V in the autumn and was the first EU member state to receive vaccine samples. The pedigree documentation was initiated by the national pharmaceutical institute, OGYÉI employees inspected the vaccine plant in Russia this week and also agreed with the Russian pharmaceutical authority. After OGYÉI approved the use of the preparation, the Index was the first to report on this, only the final permission from the Public Health Center was needed, and it arrived on Wednesday. From here, it is possible to use the vaccine in an emergency.
Although you can only vaccinate in the European Union with a vaccine licensed by the European Medicines Agency, a European Commission regulation allows the vaccine to be used for temporary use in an emergency.
Isn’t it true that the EU is negotiating the purchase of vaccines?
But. At the same time, Hungary was able to get to Sputnik in Hungary because
this vaccine is not yet included in the vaccination strategy of the European Commission.
Unlike Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, CurVac and Johnson & Johnson, the Union did not enter into a contract with R-Pharm, the Russian pharmaceutical company that produces Sputnik, for the supply of vaccines. Therefore, regardless of the EU process, Hungary can conduct separate negotiations on the Russian vaccine.
How many doses of vaccine do you buy in Hungary?
Vaccine shipments arrive in three stages. Peter Szijjártó said on Friday morning that he would report on contract details during the day.
How does the vaccine arrive?
By plane. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade bought an Airbus A330 from Qatar Airways for $ 57.5 million (converted to approximately $ 17 billion). Transportation capacity is many times the capacity of converted passenger carriers.
How does it work?
Sputnik V is a third generation vaccine, so it represents the same line as Pfizer or Moderna. But unlike the two American vaccines, this is not an mRNA-based vaccine, but a so-called vector vaccine. The gene that transcribes the coronavirus spike protein is introduced into a harmless adenovirus, and this “carrier” virus, which is unfit for reproduction or harm, is introduced into the human body with the vaccine. Through this, our body produces a viral protein that is vital for the immune system and immune memory is developed.
When the coronavirus attacks our body, the immune memory is activated and acts against the pathogen.
A vector-type vaccine is also an Ebola vaccine, which has been used to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of people in Africa.
Who Produces?
The vaccine was developed by the Gamaleja Institute and manufactured by R-Pharm, Russia’s number one pharmaceutical company, on behalf of the Russian state fund. Its owner, billionaire Alexei Repik, formed the company in 2001, in which the Japanese group Mitsui acquired a minority stake in 2017.
How to store?
The vaccine should be stored between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, that is, under normal refrigeration conditions, which not only facilitates transport but also longer-term storage. There are types of vaccines that should be stored at minus 20 or minus 70 degrees.
How many times should it be administered?
Sputnik V, like Pfizer or Moderna, must be given in two doses. 21 days after the injection of the first dose, the second vaccine is given, and the two vaccines introduce two different adenoviruses into the body.
How effective?
The results of the Phase 3 studies showed that the vaccine was 91.4 percent effective 28 days after vaccination and 95 percent effective 42 days after the first vaccination.
Who receives it?
Pfizer and Moderna are given to people according to the vaccination plan, and Sputnik is used in the same way. In other words, health workers are vaccinated first at the vaccination points, followed by workers from the social institution and neighbors. They are followed by those over 60 years of age who are at risk of infection by Covid-19, law enforcement officers (who come into direct contact with the population) and then those aged 18 to 59 years who are at higher risk of suffering underlying comorbidities. Finally, those who work in critical infrastructure and all young people between the ages of 18 and 59 who do not fall into the risk groups mentioned above.
How much?
Vaccination is free, but of course the Hungarian government pays the Russians, which means that we also pay indirectly. If the Russian manufacturer adheres to the price indicated on the official website of the vaccine, the price for one dose of vaccine is $ 10.
(Cover image: Sputnik V. Photo: Hakan Nural / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images)
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