Achieving a high vaccination rate is key to curbing the epidemic, stressed academic Aleksandr Gincburg, director of the Russian Gamelaja Center that developed Szputnyik Vt, in an exclusive interview with Magyar Hírlap. He also reported how the new Szputnyik Light vaccine, which can be used as a booster vaccination, is included.

 - Do you consider the cooperation between Hungary and Russia to be successful in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic?

- Hungary was one of the first in the world to start using Szputnyik Vt, the joint work with the country is a great example of how vaccine-related cooperation between countries should look. Hungary is also a good example of the advantages of the approach of using multiple vaccines at the same time. As developers, we have always supported this, as it helps to minimize technological and logistical risks and to avoid the de facto monopoly of a single technology.

This approach also allowed us to directly compare individual vaccines. A comparative study of five of them - Szputnyik V, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinopharm and AstraZeneca - between January and June of last year showed that Szputnyik V was the most effective in preventing covid-related deaths with 98 percent, and 85.7 percent effectiveness showed against the coronavirus infection. In the latter field, it performed head-to-head with Moderna. It was the world's first such direct comparison, with data from 3.7 million people.

– What do you think about the behavior of the European Union towards Russia regarding vaccines? Is politics holding back the treatment of the epidemic?

– As a vaccine developer and scientist, the point for me is that Szputnyik V has repeatedly demonstrated its safety and excellent effectiveness against all known covid mutations.

Szputnyik Vt has been registered in seventy-one countries with a total of more than four billion inhabitants, and we can say that it has saved millions of lives. In addition, the adenovirus platform on which Sputnik V is based has been studied for more than thirty years, is completely safe, and has no serious side effects, such as myocarditis, which are associated with some other vaccines. All studies show that Szputnyik V's pioneering, so-called vaccine cocktail approach - i.e. using two different vaccine doses instead of two identical ones - is the most effective against covid.

A recent comparative study, conducted in the same laboratory conditions at the Spallanzani Institute in Italy with its own equipment, by an Italian research team and a team from the Gamelaja Center, showed that Sputnik V showed two times higher antibody levels against omicron than two doses of Pfizer. The difference three months after vaccination is 2.6 times, showing that the Russian vaccine provides more durable protection.

– What are your predictions regarding the development of the epidemic?

– It is clear that the omicron, contrary to the hopes of many, does not mean the end of the epidemic. It is highly contagious and spreads extremely quickly, including in countries and regions with low vaccination rates. This significantly increases the risk of new, more dangerous mutations that cannot be predicted in advance. To avoid this, a global, mass vaccination is needed.

We must reach seventy-five to eighty percent vaccination coverage or risk the emergence of new, potentially more lethal variants in low-vaccination areas. In addition, booster vaccination is very important to increase effectiveness. We believe that our Sputnik Light vaccine can be key to the global booster vaccination campaign.

- A shipment of this vaccine arrived in Hungary for testing at the beginning of January. What are your experiences with Szputnyik Light so far in the countries where it is already used?

- It is already recognized worldwide as a single-component version of Szputnyik V. Just last week, India approved it, joining 30 other countries in doing so. More than two and a half billion people can now access it. In a number of countries, it is also used as a general booster vaccination for those vaccinated with other vaccines to obtain stronger and longer-term immunity.

- So can Szputnyik Light be used as a booster shot after other vaccines?

– Of course, it is not only possible, but strongly recommended after any other, especially in defense against Omicron. As a third vaccination, Szputnyik Light increases the weakening effectiveness of other vaccines, this is especially true for mRNA vaccines, whose protection against omicron has been proven to weaken even a few months after vaccination. The durability of vaccine protection is crucial to avoid frequent booster vaccinations.

A test conducted in Argentina showed that combining AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Moderna or CanSino with Sputnyik Light elicited a stronger antibody and T-cell immune response than two doses of the same two of the former, each so-called vaccine cocktail performing well. We fully support open and transparent comparisons of vaccines and are willing to partner with other manufacturers to determine what combinations and boosters work best. We were the first to offer comparison studies, and one with AstraZeneca is currently underway.

Source: Magyar Hírlap

Author: Mariann Őry

Photo: AFP/Sefa Karacan