Covid vaccine is safe and effective

Moscow, Feb 3 (AFP/APP):Moscow savoured its scientific and political win Wednesday after a top medical journal declared the Sputnik V Covid vaccine safe and effective, and said it was working to increase production of the jab abroad.

The Lancet published results on Tuesday showing the homemade Russian vaccine — named after the Soviet-era satellite — to be 91.6 percent effective against symptomatic Covid-19 cases. The shot faced Western criticism last year when it was approved in Russia before large-scale clinical trials. The development represents a major scientific and political victory for President Vladimir Putin, who has called Sputnik V the world’s best vaccine.

The latest results have also allayed some Western concerns over the transparency of the Russian jab and increased hopes for ending the pandemic, as many European nations struggle with rolling out their vaccines. In a call with reporters Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said The Lancet article demonstrated the “reliability and effectiveness of the Russian vaccine”. “And besides that, (it) probably also confirmed the justification of the accelerated registration of this vaccine in the Russian Federation,” he said, adding that the jab’s safety was “proven”. On Wednesday, the banner headline of the pro-Kremlin Izvestia daily’s front page celebrated the “successful launch” of the jab.