Sputnik V COVID-19 jab around 83 pct effective against delta variant: Minister

Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 is around 83 percent effective against the delta variant of coronavirus, lower than previously thought, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Wednesday.

Authorities blamed a surge in coronavirus cases in June and July on the more contagious delta variant and the population’s reluctance to get vaccinated despite shots being widely available.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The vaccine’s developers in June said Sputnik V was around 90 percent effective against the delta variant.

Coronavirus Coronavirus What sets delta COVID-19 variant apart is the ‘viral load’ it produces: Experts

“The latest results show that effectiveness is around 83 percent,” the TASS news agency cited Murashko as saying.

Alexander Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya Institute which developed the vaccine, said on Wednesday in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper that Sputnik V was safe and effective against all strains of the coronavirus.

Russia, which has a population of around 144 million, has approved four domestically produced vaccines. It has recorded almost 6.5 million infections since the start of the pandemic.

Read more:

Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine shown to be less effective against delta variant

Study shows how safe differing COVID-19 vaccines are perceived in UAE, Saudi

Explainer: The difference between COVID-19 mRNA and Adenovirus-vector vaccines