Sputnik V Clinical Trials for the Elderly Completed
The third phase clinical trials of the COVID-19 Sputnik V vaccine among those aged over 60 have been successfully completed, Russia's Health Ministry revealed.
Russia’s Health Ministry revealed that the third phase clinical trials of the COVID-19 Sputnik V vaccine among those aged over 60 have been successfully completed, and the jab has proven its safety and effectiveness.
More than 23,000 elderly patients took part in the final stage of the trials, Russia’s Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said during a meeting of the government’s Coordination Council on tackling Covid-19 on Thursday.
The Minister said that the vaccine has shown a “high safety and effectiveness profile” in the most vulnerable age group, yet he did not disclose any exact figures, and the final report is yet to be prepared.
Sputnik V became the world’s first registered vaccine against the coronavirus after being approved by Russian authorities last August. The jab has shown high efficacy of 97.6% among those who received both required shots, with no significant known side effects.
Sputnik V has already been approved in 70 countries, however, it is still lacking authorization from the EU's regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and the World Health Organization (WHO), with Moscow officials suggesting that the protracted registration process could be motivated by political reasons.