Sputnik V is a Russian vaccine for COVID-19. The Indian government has authorized its sale in the country, but it hasn’t gained as much popularity as Covaxin and Covishield. So, what’s the current status of Sputnik Vaccine India, and should you get it? Let’s find out.
What Is Sputnik Vaccine India?
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Sputnik V vaccine, or simply the Sputnik, is an adenovirus viral vaccine for COVID-19. Developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Russia, Sputnik V is approved for administration in over 70 countries. However, the WHO has not yet approved Sputnik V even for emergency administration. Russia expects approval by the end of 2021.
Specifications of Sputnik Vaccine India
The scientific name of Sputnik V is Gam-COVID-Vac. As discussed, it’s an adenovirus-based vaccine that uses a weakened virus to trigger an immune response in a person. The vaccine uses adenovirus as a container to introduce coronavirus genes into the body and prepare it for a potential infection.
Like Covaxin and Covishield — two approved COVID-19 vaccines in India — Sputnik V is a double-dose vaccine. The first dose helps the body develop humoral cell immunity. The second dose, administered 21 days after the first dose, helps develop memory cells. Though the gap between the two vaccines, as stated initially, is 21 days, the developer of the vaccine recently said the gap could increase to three months if needed.
Gamaleya Research Center claims that Sputnik V has no side effects. You won’t get a fever, headache, fatigue, body ache, or other side effects you may experience with other vaccines like Covishield and Covaxin. The only side effect some people may experience is pain at the injection site.
Several independent trials conducted in Russia and published in The Lancet showed that Sputnik V has an efficacy of over 90%. One study showed that the vaccine had 91.6% efficacy, while another study showed that 94% of people developed antibodies after receiving a Sputnik jab.
The Russian Ministry of Health recently announced that Sputnik V was 83.1% effective against the Delta variant and reduced infection risk by six times and hospitalization risk by 18 times. That said, the effectiveness of Sputnik V against the latest Omicron variant is not yet clear. More research is needed to learn about its efficacy against the latest variant.
The Current Status of Sputnik Vaccine India
According to the current vaccination data in the country, Indians haven’t wholeheartedly embraced the Russian vaccine. Of around 876 million vaccine doses administered in India, only about 960k — one percent of all doses — were of Sputnik V. This low demand has pushed many hospitals to cancel vaccine orders. Dr. Reddy’s, the exclusive seller of Sputnik V in India, continues to experience a plunge in Sputnik V sales.
It’s worth learning why Sputnik V failed to capture the world’s largest vaccine producer. Let’s look at three reasons this happened.
No WHO Approval
Sadly, Sputnik V has not yet received WHO approval, which is one of the major reasons for its failure in India. The country already has two local, WHO-approved vaccines. People are, therefore, not willing to go for a vaccine that hasn’t yet received a nod from the UN. As Russia anticipates getting approval by the year-end, the demand may spike in 2022.
High Price Tag
The maximum retail price (MRP) of Sputnik V is INR 995, which isn’t very high. In contrast, Covishield is available for Rs. 780 and Covaxin for Rs. 1,410. The problem, however, is that Covaxin and Covishield are available for free in thousands of public vaccination centers in India. Why would someone bother going to a hospital and paying a thousand rupees for a vaccine when they can get a WHO-approved vaccine for free nearby?
Since the Indian government isn’t administering Sputnik V for free like the other two vaccines, the demand for Sputnik has been low.
Available at Selected Hospitals
Lastly, Sputnik V is not available everywhere like Covaxin and Covishield. It’s available in a few hospitals in tier 1 cities. People who want to get Sputnik must live in tier 1 cities, find a hospital that has Sputnik, and go there to get vaccinated. This lack of convenience is another reason for the failure of Sputnik V in India.
Sputnik Vaccine India vs. Other Vaccines
If you are yet to get your first vaccine shot, you can choose between Covishied, Covaxin, and Sputnik V. But which one should you choose and why? Here’s a head-to-head comparison between the three vaccines.
Working Mechanism
Let’s talk about Covaxin first. It uses an indigenous mechanism, where the idea is to introduce a weakened and inactivated version of the disease into the body. The body fights the infection and develops antibodies against it.
Covishield and Sputnik V work differently. They are adenovirus-based vaccines, which means the idea is to introduce a virus similar to SARS-CoV-2 into the body. The body fights the virus and builds immunity against it. When the actual COVID-19 disease enters the body, fighting it becomes easier.
Efficacy
The efficacy of the three vaccines is quite similar. According to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), Covishield has an efficacy of 70% and a Covaxin of 70-90%. Russian authorities say that the efficacy of Sputnik V is 92%.
Side Effects
Finally, let’s look at the side effects and risks involved with the three vaccines. The first dose of Covishield could cause fever, headache, fatigue, and other flu-like symptoms. You may get a mild fever with Covaxin as well, though the symptoms are milder. Though Russian authorities state that Sputnik doesn’t have side effects, tests have shown that you may experience flu-like symptoms and pain at the injection site.
Conclusion
Sputnik V is an adenovirus-based vaccine for COVID-19 developed in Russia. It works similarly to Covishield, but it hasn’t yet received WHO approval. The vaccine is available in India at various hospitals, and you can get it if you want to. But with Covaxin and Covishield available for free at public vaccination centers, people in India haven’t shown much interest in the Russian vaccine.
