VAKCINA

Exclusive: The Covid vaccines data that pave way to freedom

First 'real world' figures show Oxford and Pfizer jabs cut two thirds of infections and transmissions

By Laura Donnelly, HEALTH EDITOR
18 February 2021 • 9:30pm
 
Vaccines appear to cut Covid transmissions and infections by two-thirds according to the first "real world data" examining their impact, The Telegraph can disclose. 
Key data being handed to Boris Johnson as he finalises a roadmap out of lockdown shows that just one dose of either the Oxford or Pfizer vaccines has such an effect on all age groups. 
Mr Johnson and his scientific advisers are expected to examine key findings showing the impact of the jabs on transmission, infection, hospitalisations and deaths.
Whitehall sources said the studies would be a crucial part of deliberations over Britain's route out of lockdown and that all the findings so far were "very encouraging".
Separate data shows that Covid cases are falling most rapidly among the oldest, with care home outbreaks almost halving in a week.
The statistics appear to vindicate Britain's strategy of vaccinating by age order, with cases among those over the age of 80 falling by 38 per cent in seven days.
On Monday, Mr Johnson will publish his roadmap out of restrictions, expected to start with the return of schools from March 8 before any relaxation of rules on outdoor socialising and the reopening of shops, pubs and restaurants. 
It comes amid pressure from Tory backbenchers for a speedy easing of lockdown restrictions.
Behind the scenes, Matt Hancock is among those understood to be pushing for an earlier timetable. Last week, the Health Secretary told The Telegraph that drugs and vaccines represent "our way out to freedom", having earlier said that Britain could enjoy a "happy and free" summer after millions have been vaccinated. 
Meanwhile, the British Medical Association is calling for a "near-elimination" of Covid from the UK before any significant easing of restrictions. 
More than 16 million people in the UK have now had their first vaccine, including 99 per cent of those aged 75 to 79 and more than 93 per cent of those aged 80 and over. 
Key studies led by Public Health England (PHE), involving around 40,000 healthcare workers and 9,000 care homes, will not be published until towards the end of this month. A PHE spokesperson said: "We have been analysing the data since the start of the vaccination programme rollout and will publish our findings in due course."
But the Prime Minister is expected to be given early findings which suggest that both the Pfizer and Oxford/Astra Zeneca vaccines have a powerful effect in cutting the spread of Covid.
There is already increasing evidence to show that the vaccines stop people becoming infected with the disease, cutting hospitalisations and deaths. 
But the latest data from PHE will show that, critically, just one dose of either vaccine appears to block transmission of the virus by around two thirds in all age groups. The finding is crucial to efforts to lift Britain out of lockdown as the vaccination programme is ramped up. 
The bulk of the latest data being handed to the Government relates to the Pfizer vaccine, which began to be administered in December. But the same effect was seen in a smaller set of findings relating to the Oxford jab, which has been administered far more widely despite its rollout beginning later. 
Despite concerns about the effectiveness of the Oxford jab in older people, findings were similar in all age groups tracked. Last week, the the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended the Oxford vaccine for the over-65s and backed Britain's decision to space doses by up to 12 weeks after a number of countries refused to give the jab to older people. 
A Whitehall source said the new data was "very encouraging" and in line with findings from clinical trials. Last month, a study by Oxford University found a single dose of the AstraZeneca jab cut transmissions by 67 per cent, with no hospitalisations recorded.
Mr Johnson is expected to pore over the data over the weekend, along with Prof Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, ahead of a meeting of the Cabinet's coronavirus operations committee to agree the route out of lockdown.
On Thursday night, a senior Government source said "no firm conclusions" on vaccine efficacy had been passed to ministers, adding that data was "still being gathered".
Covid infection rates are now halving every two weeks, and on current trends daily cases will fall to 1,000 by mid-April. Infection levels have fallen by more than two thirds since January, according to the React study led by Imperial College London.
On Thursday, Baroness Dido Harding, the head of NHS Test and Trace, announced job cuts for its call handlers as a result of declining levels of infection. In an email, she wrote:  "As a result of the decreasing levels of prevalence, NHS Test and Trace are reducing the size of the contact tracing workforce.
"As prevalence levels decrease, the profile of the tracing workforce will change from volume contact tracing towards supporting enhanced contact tracing and outbreaks."
The new figures show the number of outbreaks in care homes fell from 320 to 181 during the week ending Feb 11.  It follows the rollout of vaccinations to all eligible care homes for the elderly by the end of last month.  
The statistics show that, for people aged 80 and over, the rate of Covid cases fell from 208 per 100,000 to 129.6, a drop of 38 per cent. Levels for those in their 70s fell by 35.6 per cent, with a reduction of 31.2 per cent for those in their 60s. 
Meanwhile, two international studies suggested that one dose of the Pfizer vaccine offers protection of at least 85 per cent. Scientists in Israel said the findings endorsed the UK approach of administering jabs up to 12 weeks apart. An analysis of documents submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration suggests efficacy rates of 92.6 per cent at first dose. 
Despite the promising vaccine news, it is understood that Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor is preparing to extend the furlough scheme until the summer and offer businesses another six-month suspension of rates. 

New Israëli study published in Lancet yesterday demonstrates early and large (85%) rate reductions of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections in BNT162b2 (Pfizer) vaccine recipients. https://t.co/1w53PqbBrX

— Ewoud ter Avest (@ewoudterAvest) February 19, 2021

1st dose vaccine reduction of covid-19 cases in a large healthcare workforce observational study https://t.co/woJSAogH5L @TheLancet pic.twitter.com/aM52vnA1Ue

— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) February 19, 2021

Efficacy of BNT-Pfizer in healthcare workers in Israel's largest hospital - vaccinated & not (not matched): >40% efficacy against symptomatic disease in 2 weeks after 1st dose; ~80% in the second 2 weeks. https://t.co/xiOaAEgFMY pic.twitter.com/HzjyR3dDqG

— Hilda Bastian, PhD (@hildabast) February 19, 2021

SOUTH AFRICA

Pfizer plans to test Covid-19 vaccine booster targeting the variant identified in SA

19 February 2021 - 08:34 BY MICHAEL ERMAN

A top Pfizer Inc scientist says the company is in intensive discussions with regulators to test a booster shot version of its coronavirus vaccine specifically targeted for a highly contagious variant that is spreading widely in SA and elsewhere.
A laboratory study released on Wednesday suggested that the “South African” virus variant may reduce protective antibodies elicited by the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine by two-thirds, but it is not clear how much that reduces the shot's effectiveness against this version of the pathogen.
Phil Dormitzer, one of Pfizer's top viral vaccine scientists and a co-author of the study, said in an interview he believes the current vaccine is highly likely to still protect against the concerning variant first discovered in SA.
“A level of neutralising antibodies that may be on the order of between a third and a half the level of neutralising antibodies you see against the original virus does not mean you have only a third to half of the protection level, you may well have full protection,” he said.
University of Texas Medical Branch professor and study co-author Pei-Yong Shi said he also believes the lessened immune response observed is likely to be significantly above where it needs to be to provide protection.
Shi said that in clinical trials, both the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and a similar shot from Moderna Inc conferred some protection after the first of two doses with an antibody response lower than the reduced levels seen in the laboratory study of the South African variant.
Still, Dormitzer, chief scientific officer of viral vaccines at Pfizer Vaccines Research and Development, said the company was developing plans to test a redesigned booster for the vaccine.
“We're not doing that primarily because we think that means that we're going to need to change that vaccine,” he said. “It's primarily to learn how to change strain, both in terms of what we do at the manufacturing level, and especially what the clinical results are.
“So if a variant comes along for which there is clinical evidence of escape, we're ready to respond very quickly,” Dormitzer added.
He said the company has already made a DNA template for a prototype vaccine targeting the variant and plans to manufacture a batch of it.
The company is proposing to do a Phase I clinical trial of a booster shot of that prototype vaccine that it would test against a booster for the current vaccine.
“This will be a immunogenicity study, where you look at the immune response. And those studies are much, much smaller than the giant efficacy studies,” Dormitzer said.
“In immunogenicity studies you can look at the immune response of every person in the study. It's not as definitive as efficacy data, for sure. But it can be gathered much more quickly,” he explained.
The company would likely conduct some animal testing in parallel as well, he said.
The US Food and Drug Administration has not yet released a road map for how companies should design trials of coronavirus booster shots.

Croatia, Slovakia launch ‘Operation Sputnik’
By Michal Hudec and Tea Trubić Macan | EURACTIV.hr and EURACTIV.sk


The Croatian government is laying the ground for the purchase of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V while Slovakia will start a similar discussion on Thursday (18 February) despite the fact that Moscow’s vaccines has not been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). At the same time, Brussels is feeling the pressure and is questioning Russia’s vaccine diplomacy. How far could individual countries go with Sputnik?

The news in Zagreb broke on Tuesday evening and has been confirmed to EURACTIV’s media partner Jutarnji list by the Russian Ambassador to Croatia Andrej Nesterenko, as well as sources from Plenković’s government.

At EU level, only Hungary has approved both the Chinese and Russian COVID-19 vaccines so far and the Czech Republic is mulling the purchase.

“Croatia is trying to protect its national interests. At this phase, we need to get the vaccine before it is approved by the EMA. That way we can avoid dependency on internal distribution within the EU. It is important to emphasise that we are not violating any EU rule or regulation in the process,” a source said.

According to the source, Zagreb is currently negotiating with Moscow on the shipment of at least one million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine in the coming weeks. Even if the vaccine does not get EMA’s greenlight by then, the vaccines would still be shipped.

The plan is to wait for the EU’s ‘thumbs-up’ while the vaccines are being shipped and begin rolling out vaccinations the minute it gets approved. Were the EMA to prolong the process, Croatia’s national agency, HALMED, is looking into legal ways to start vaccinations before EMA approval.

Nesterenko did not want to confirm nor deny the reports, but confirmed that Russia is ready to ship the purchase of million doses as soon as formally requested.

“According to my knowledge, it is possible for us to ship the vaccine in 24 hours. We even have special planes at our disposal, if needed. But we are still waiting for the agency’s clearance and the official request from Zagreb” the Ambassador added.

In Bratislava, the Slovak government starts discussions on Thursday regarding the purchase and use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.

“I don’t see any reason why we cannot use it here. If we had Sputnik now, millions of people could get vaccinated,” said Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovič.

The idea is also backed by Health Minister Marek Krejčí, and by some members of the anti-pandemic commission established by the government.  

Slovakia currently uses vaccines from Pfizer/BioNtech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca, which have all been approved by the EMA .

Statements by some government officials suggest Slovakia may use the vaccine before it is approved by the EU, although doubts regarding Russia’s capacity to produce the needed amounts remain.

EU Commission chief Ursula Von der Leyen questioned on Wednesday Moscow’s vaccine diplomacy.

“We still wonder why Russia is offering, theoretically, millions and millions of doses while not sufficiently progressing in vaccinating its own people,” she said at a news conference.

Earlier this week, Commission sources told EURACTIV.com that for the time being, the Russian vaccine is not really on their radar.

“In order to be part of the EU vaccination programme, manufacturers need to have production capacity in EU territory to exactly make sure we have independence,” the sources added, saying Sputnik V are currently “all produced in Russia”.

The same sources stressed that the EU countries that will make use of the Russian vaccine before EMA’s approval will do so “with their own responsibility”.

The Biden administration won’t donate to poor countries any of the coronavirus vaccine doses the U.S. has purchased before most Americans are vaccinated, a senior administration official told reporters Thursday.

The comments come one day before Biden will join the G7 virtual meeting, where leaders of major industrialized nations are set to address anxiety over a global vaccine rollout that’s left behind poor countries.

President Joe Biden at the meeting — his first multilateral engagement since taking office — will announce the U.S. is directing $4 billion Congress allocated to Gavi in December to help procure coronavirus vaccines for poor countries, the senior official said.

Half of the funding will go toward subsidizing purchases of vaccine doses for 92 poor and developing countries through COVAX, the global effort for equitable vaccine access led by Gavi and two other organizations. The remaining $2 billion will be allocated over the next two years to expand vaccine manufacturing and delivery, with the first $500 million expected to be released quickly. The administration hopes that donation will encourage other countries to contribute more to the effort, which it estimates will cost $15 billion.

Why it matters: The Biden administration announced last month that it would participate in COVAX, reversing former President Donald Trump’s refusal to join the program because of its connection to the World Health Organization. However, it wasn’t clear at the time when the United States might donate its own vaccine supply.

Poor countries and global health advocates have been pushing wealthy nations to share some of their supply, warning that the inequitable vaccine rollout could leave them playing catch-up for years. Allowing high numbers of infections to continue across the world is also likely to lead to new virus variants that can threaten to prolong the pandemic for rich and poor countries alike, experts argue.

However, wealthier countries who have snapped up the majority of available vaccine doses have focused on inoculating their citizens first as they face pressure to speed up those efforts. The Biden administration official on a Thursday background call made clear the priority is vaccinating Americans.

“While we're not able to share vaccine doses at this time, while we're focused on American vaccinations and getting shots into arms here, we're working hard to support COVAX strengthen global vaccination around the world, and determining the timeline for when we will have a sufficient supply in the United States and be able to donate surplus vaccines,” the official said.

The Biden administration said it expects to have enough vaccine doses for all Americans by the end of July, though it will take more time to complete vaccinations.
...


https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/18/us-share-vaccine-americans-world-469886

"Astra Zenicom kad se cijepim ja, prati me pet-šest doktora..." pic.twitter.com/mdrHo36iGC

— Domagoj Zovak (@zo_wack) February 19, 2021

ficfiric wrote:Btw, Cira se nije vakcinisao u Srbiji Uskocio je preko reda u hr

Sotir wrote:Шта је сад ово, Фајзер пре два дана јави да вакцина ради ок са јужноафричким сојем и да неће да прави нову верзију, а данас да праве бустер за исти?

Nevertheless, Pfizer and BioNTech are taking the necessary steps, making the right investments, and engaging in the appropriate conversations with regulators to be in a position to develop and seek authorization for an updated mRNA vaccine or booster once a strain that significantly reduces the protection from the vaccine is identified.

Data shows a single dose of BioNTech/Pfizeri is just about as effective as two.

Given the shortage of vaccines, Europe should stop second doses now.

2/3 of all jabs in France today are second doses. These would be vastly more effective if they became someone else's first dose. https://t.co/n6a6XcPlBa

— Stanley Pignal (@spignal) February 19, 2021

AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine is more effective when its second dose is given three months after the first, instead of six weeks, a peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet medical journal showed on Friday.
The study confirmed the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker’s findings from earlier this month that showed the vaccine had 76% efficacy against symptomatic coronavirus infection for three months after the first dose.
Efficacy was found to be at 81% with the longer interval of 12 weeks between the first and second dose, compared with 55% efficacy up to the six-week gap, according to the Lancet study, which backs British and WHO recommendations for longer intervals. (bit.ly/3bmLX25)
Faced with a resurgence in infections and new, highly transmissible variants of the virus, many countries are hoping to broaden immunization by giving some protection to as many people as possible with a first dose, while delaying subsequent shots.

Pfizer and BioNTech submitted new data to the FDA that shows the stability of the vaccine at -25°C to -15°C (-13°F to 5°F). These are temperatures usually found in pharmaceutical freezers and refrigerators. The companies have proposed an update to the EUA prescribing information, which would allow the institutions involved in COVID-19 vaccination campaigns to make changes to their vaccine distribution protocols and expand the vaccine’s reach.
The two companies explained that the new FDA submission includes stability data generated on vaccine batches manufactured in the past nine months, including batches that were used for clinical trials. Pfizer and BioNTech will also issue the same documentation to other regulators around the world that have authorized the drug for emergency use. Since mid-December, the vaccine has been used in various markets, including the US, UK, Europe, Israel, and more.

The current EUA labels say that the vaccine must be stored in ultra-cord freezers at temperatures ranging from -80ºC to -60ºC (-112ºF to ‑76ºF), where it can remain for up to 6 months. The vaccines are shipped in specially-designed boxes that contain dry ice in order to achieve those low temperatures. The vaccine can be stored in these boxes for up to 30 days if the dry ice is refilled every three days.
According to the proposed changes, Pfizer’s vaccine can be stored for up to five days at average refrigerator temperature between 2⁰C and 8⁰C (36⁰F and 46⁰F) before it’s mixed with a saline diluent and administered to people. The vaccine is then administered to people at room temperature.

If the FDA approves the proposed label change, hospitals, pharmacies, and other centers that might be involved in the vaccination process would be able to store the drug at the proposed -25°C to -15°C (-13°F to 5°F) temperature for two weeks. After that, the drug can continue to be stored for an additional five days between 2⁰C and 8⁰C (36⁰F and 46⁰F) once it’s prepared to be administered. The new temperature recommendation could also help reduce the number of vaccines that are wasted, which is a key issue when supply remains low. The drugs can only be used within a certain window of time after being thawed.

Looming Supply Glut of Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine Could Pave Way for Exports

Pharmaceutical industry experts told The Moscow Times that manufacturers are set to overshoot targets while Russians remain indifferent to the jab.

A surge in production of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine combined with domestic distrust of the jab could lead to a boom in exports, pharmaceutical executives and industry specialists in the country told The Moscow Times.

After big promises and a shaky start to production ahead of a wide-scale rollout in the fall — which saw production forecasts halved — Russian manufacturers now look set to overshoot output targets, supplying up to 40 million doses a month by June.

“There will absolutely be excess supply in Russia. I believe that around 30% of Russian-made vaccines will be ready for export,” said Vitaly Shakhnazarov, quality director at COREX, a pharmaceutical logistics firm working through Russia and Eastern Europe.

When Russia began preparing for mass Sputnik V vaccination, pharmaceutical plants belonging to six different companies were extensively retooled for production of the first-in-the-world jab.

With expectations high, the ambitious mobilization push did not come off without setbacks.

“Russia overpromised on how much it could deliver in the fall. We weren’t ready to scale up so quickly,” Shakhnazarov said.

“We saw the same thing happen in the West. The pharmaceutical industry doesn’t work well in emergency mode.”

In September, Kirill Dmitriyev, the head of Sputnik V’s financer the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), predicted production of 10 million doses monthly by December. A month later, Alexander Gintsburg, the head of the Gamaleya Institute responsible for creating the vaccine put the estimate at only five million doses by the end of the year.

By early February, officials said a total of only seven million doses had been approved for use since the start of the production of the vaccine.  

Retooling problems saw Russian also underdeliver on vaccine supplies to Hungary — one of Moscow’s key European allies — which received only a third of the 300,000 doses of Sputnik it had been expecting in January.

However, things have changed and industry figures now say the manufacturing infrastructure is now in place to fulfil Russia’s domestic and international vaccine supply commitments.

“The idea that Russia has a production capacity problem is a little out of date,” said Dmitry Kulish, a professor at Skoltech, a private Moscow research institute specializing in pharmaceutical innovation.

“It was true in December, but it isn’t anymore.”

Kulish believes that the RDIF’s estimates of 30 million Sputnik doses manufactured monthly by March — 10 million of them in Russia and the rest in countries including Brazil, South Korea and Kazakhstan — may be conservative, and that by June the Russian pharmaceutical sector could overshoot its ambitions and produce up to 40 million jabs monthly.

A lot of hope, experts say, is being placed in one of Russia’s largest drugmakers, R-Pharm.

Its founder and chairman, Russian billionaire Aleksei Repik, told the Moscow Times the company is planning to produce over 10 million doses per month at three different plants across Russia.

“R.Pharm joining the production of the vaccine is important,” said Ilya Yasny, a senior scientific research at the Russian biotech firm Inbio Ventures, noting that the firm’s infrastructure will provide for much larger scale production than other pharmaceutical companies.

“They will be brewing the vaccine in a 200-liter bioreactor, compared to the 5-liter reactors used by some of the other producers right now.”

R.Pharm is also seeking clinical approval for a combination jab of both Sputnik and the AstraZeneca vaccine. If approved, it is likely to predominantly service the export market, with shipments planned for Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Even so, industry figures warn of potential bumps on the road ahead that could disrupt production.

“Production could be constrained in future by a shortage of raw materials, as the worldwide vaccine race has led to deficits in certain areas,” said Repik. Despite earlier promises to start in January, R-Pharm is yet to launch production of the vaccine at its factory in Moscow.

Another potential complicating factor could be the appearance of new Russian vaccines, with Novosibirsk’s Vektor Institute having received regulatory approval for its jab, and Moscow’s Chumakov Center expected follow soon, moves which could complicate mass vaccine production.

“The two new Russian vaccines might actually hinder production as they divert the logistical resources needed to produce and transport Sputnik,” said COREX’s Shakhnazarov.

“I am not sure Russia has the capacity to roll out all three vaccines.”

Russian distrust

Whatever the possible production bottlenecks, export supplies are likely to be stoked by Russians’ reluctance to receive Sputnik V.

International and domestic polling consistently indicates that the country’s population remains among the world’s most vaccine-skeptical, with only 30% of Russians saying they believe most of their compatriots would be willing to receive a scientifically proven and widely available Covid-19 vaccine — one of the lowest rates in the world.

Widespread suspicion of the speed at which Sputnik V was approved, alongside a deep-rooted cultural preference for foreign-made medicines among many Russians have led to suppressed demand for the world’s first Covid jab in its homeland.

Though the Russian government hopes to vaccinate sixty percent of the population by the end of 2021, few observers believe this to be a realistic goal. President Vladimir Putin himself has yet to have the vaccine, and there has been no large-scale state-run PR campaign to sell the jab to citizens.

While estimates vary widely, some analysts suggest that as few as twenty to thirty million Russians might ultimately receive Sputnik V, leaving a glut of excess doses for the international market.

“Russia will only be able to vaccinate 70% of the population, perhaps 80% if it is made compulsory,” said Shakhnazarov.

Supply chain

Sputnik V’s international supply chain is a sprawling patchwork of licensing agreements with pharmaceutical suppliers in South Korea, India and Brazil.

While geographical constraints mean that existing vaccine production deals to produce Sputnik in South Korea and Brazil are likely to supply the Asian and Latin American markets — where Russia’s vaccine has proved popular — surplus vaccines at home could be supplied to nearby countries that have few obvious alternatives to Russian-made jabs.

“Given that there are logistical issues that come with the transport of Sputnik doses, it makes sense to sell the domestically produced vaccines to neighbouring countries,” said Shakhnazarov.

Though many of Russia’s immediate Eastern European and Central Asian neighbors qualify for the World Health Organization’s COVAX program, which guarantees vaccines to 92 low- and middle-income countries, the program guarantees supplies or only around 20% of the recipient countries’ populations. That means Sputnik V is likely to remain in demand.

A potential glut of Sputnik V also raises the prospect that the European Union might seek to bolster its own flagging vaccination program with Russian supplies.

While European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has publicly cast doubt on Sputnik’s prospects in Europe, German chancellor Angela Merkel and other national leaders have expressed interest in the jab, giving Russian analysts cause for optimism about the vaccine’s prospects in Europe.

However, with domestic demand for Sputnik still underwhelming, some fear that low take-up in Russia could be embarrassing amid large-scale international roll-out.

“All of the demand for Sputnik will be met,” said Skoltech’s Kulish.

“The problem is creating enough honest demand to meet the supply.”

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/02/19/looming-supply-glut-of-russias-sputnik-v-vaccine-could-pave-way-for-exports-a73019

Rai publishes what appears to be the full, unredacted, European Commission / $AZN contract: https://t.co/Hx1f6Fi4Ok h/t @vivivovi

— Donato Paolo Mancini (@donatopmancini) February 19, 2021

Russia Approves CoviVac, Its Third Coronavirus Vaccine

Russia has approved its third domestically produced coronavirus vaccine, although large-scale clinical trials of the shot have yet to be completed.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said February 20 that registration of the CoviVac vaccine makes Russia “the only country today that already has three vaccines."
The first 120,000 doses of the vaccine, produced by the state-run Chumakov Center, are expected to reach Russians by March. By the end of the year, Russia aims to have some 20 million doses of CoviVac produced.
Scientists at the Chumakov Center claim their vaccine is more than 90 percent effective against COVID-19, although Phase 3 clinical trials aren't expected to start until April.
In August, Russia approved the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, prompting scientists around the world to question its safety and efficacy because it was registered before the results of Phase 3 studies were made available.
But in early February, peer-reviewed, late-stage trial results published in The Lancet medical journal showed the two-dose regimen of Sputnik V was 91.6 percent effective against symptomatic COVID-19, about the same level as the leading Western-developed vaccines.
The vaccine has now been approved for use in some 30 countries.
A second vaccine developed in Russia, called EpiVacCorona, was registered in October and is expected to go into arms in March.
Even though Russia was early to register domestically produced vaccines, so far only about 2.2 million people in the country have received at least one of two necessary injections, or about 1.5 per cent of the population.
Unlike the Sputnik V vaccine and Western shots, the new CoviVac vaccine was developed using a whole inactive virus. A similar vaccine has been developed by China.

AFTER AUTHORIZATION, ISRAEL PLANS TO VACCINATE KIDS UNDER 16
Vaccine prevents 98.9% of COVID deaths, Israel’s Health Ministry data shows

Officials hail ‘dramatically’ effective Pfizer shots; two weeks after second dose, vaccine also 99.2% protective against serious illness, reduces chance of hospitalization by 98.9%
Israel’s Health Ministry said Saturday that coronavirus vaccines were “dramatically” effective and the latest data shows the shots were 98.9% effective at preventing death caused by COVID-19.
“The vaccine dramatically reduces serious illness and death and you can see this influence in our morbidity statistics,” said Health Ministry Director-General Chezy Levy.
According to the data released by the ministry, the vaccine is also 99.2% protective against serious illness, reduces morbidity by 95.8% and decreases the chance of hospitalization by 98.9%.
The data represents Israelis who have received both doses of the vaccine, 14 days after their second dose, versus people who have not received any inoculation. The data is representative of findings up to February 13, the Health Ministry said.
So far, 4,250,643 have received at least one dose, while 2,881,825 have received both shots out of the country’s population of about 9 million. Around 3 million Israelis are not currently eligible to be vaccinated, including those younger than 16 and people who have recovered from COVID-19, among others.
While the Health Ministry figures did not specify, Israel has been vaccinating almost exclusively with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
The nationwide data is even more optimistic than the results of studies released in recent days by Israel’s HMOs.
A massive study by Israel’s largest health provider released Sunday indicated that the vaccine was 94 percent effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, and 92% effective in averting serious cases of the disease.
The Health Ministry findings also follow results nine days ago by the Maccabi HMO, which reported zero deaths among 523,000 people a week or more after their second vaccination shot.
“Thanks to Israel’s strong health system that has allowed us to vaccinate an unprecedented wide percentage of the population, and our epidemiological tracking facilities, we are the first country in the world that can show the effect of the vaccine in the real clinical world,” said Levy.
“Our aim is to continue to vaccinate everybody 16 and older, and when the time comes, those under 16 also, to reach the widest possible coverage of the population that will allow us to return to normal life, which we all long for,” he said.
The vaccine has not yet been approved for children under 16, although Israel has vaccinated dozens who suffer specific COVID-19 risk factors. No serious side effects were reported.
A Tuesday poll found that despite a sharp increase in infections among children, only 41 percent of Israeli parents said they intend to vaccinate their kids once inoculations become available for those under 16. The poll, conducted by the Rushinek research institute, found that 29% of parents don’t plan on vaccinating their 6- to 15-year-olds, 30% are unsure, and 41% plan to do so, Channel 13 reported.
The data release comes as Israel was set to roll back some of the major restrictions imposed in late December as part of a third lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, with stores, gyms, hotels and other venues allowed to reopen on Sunday morning.
Street-front shops, malls, markets, museums, and libraries will be open to all Israelis. But only those who have been vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 will be able to use gyms, enter sporting and culture events, hotels, and swimming pools.
The Health Ministry on Thursday launched the long-awaited “Green Pass” certificate which will enable those vaccinated or recovered from the coronavirus to take part in various activities.
To be allowed to open Sunday, relevant businesses must scan people for the pass and only accept those carrying it.
The Health Ministry said Friday there were 49,867 active virus cases, including over 4,000 infections diagnosed on Thursday, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 743,814. The test positivity rate on Thursday was 6.2%.
There were 858 serious cases, including 295 people on ventilators. The death toll stood at 5,521.

Vučić: Vakcina "Astra-Zeneke" od sutra dostupna za građane, počinje stvarni proces imunizacije

Vakcina protiv koronavirusa britansko-švedskog proizvođača "Astra-Zeneka" stigla je u Srbiju, a prvi kontingent od 150.000 doza na aerodromu je dočekao predsednik Srbije Aleksandar Vučić. Vučić je naveo da da Srbija uz Ujedinjene Arapske Emirate postaje treća zemlja koja na raspolaganju ima više od tri vakcine i istakao da će vakcine "Astra-Zeneka" biti od ponedeljka na raspolaganju građanima.
Aleksandar Vučić je rekao da je avionom iz Istanbula stiglo 150.000 "Astra-Zeneka" vakcine.
"To nije samo 150.000 doza, nego vakcina. Ovo što je stiglo na beogradski aerodrom znači još 150.000 vakcinisanih. Ja sam ponosan na odgovornost, ozbiljnost koju smo pokazali u borbi za očuvanje zdravlja i života", kazao je Vučić.
Za ovo je, napominje, bilo potrebno mnogo truda, ali i truda "naših prijatelja iz Ujedinjenog Kraljevstva i Indije".
"Molio sam i Borisa Džonsona i mnoge druge u bratanskoj vlasti. Hvala im što 'Astra-Zeneka' vakcine stižu u Srbiju mnogo pre nego u drugi deo zemalja na našem kontinentu. Hoću da se zahvalim Narednri Modiju, kao i ministru spoljnih poslova Indije. Cena za ove vakcine je apsolutno napovoljnija i po izuzetno povoljnim cenama uspeli samo da obezbedimo ove vakcine. Od sutra su dostupne za naše građane", kazao je Vučić.
Predsednik je rekao da je dolaskom vakcine kompanije "Astra-Zeneka" Srbija ima vakcine četiri proizvođača. 
Naši brojevi su, napominje, veliki što se tiče vakcina, ali, dodaje, još nismo postigli mnogo po tom pitanju.
"Mi smo 756.000 ljudi vakcinsali, prvom ili drugom vakcinom, ali računajte da imamo tek oko 100.000 ljudi sa 98 ili 99 odsto zaštite od smrti, a ne zaražavanja, a to su oni kojima je prošlo 10 ili 15 dana od revakcinacije. Mi sad počinjemo stvarni proces zaštite stanovništva", kazao je Vučić.
Napominje da "moramo brzo da pokušamo da dođemo do blizu milion vakcinisanih"
"Makar prvom vakcinom do kraja februara, a da nam broj revakcinisanih pređe 700.000 do kraja februara. Tek u martu ćemo početi da osećamo blagodeti, bar po broju smrtnih slučajeva, uprkos našoj nedisciplini, vakcina koje smo obezbedili", kazao je Vučić.
Te vakcine, navodi, različito deluju.
"Ljudi imaju pravo da izaberu. Astra-Zeneka je jedna odlična vakcina, ali da ne budem ja neko ko će da štiti Astra-Zeneku bili žrtva napada zbog niske cene, jer nisu hteli da zarađuju", naveo je predsednik.
Cela Evropa se, kaže, pretplatila na "Astra-Zeneka" vakcinu.
"Mi smo uspeli pre drugih da dobijemo značajne količine zahvaljujući našim britanskim i indijskim prijateljima. Britanci su išli u vakcinaciju, imali su mnogo muka, ali sada im drstično padaju brojevi. Očekujem da se to nama desi u martu kada vakcina pokaže svoju snagu. Mi alternativa vakcini nemamo. Ponosan sam što Srbija može sačuva svoje drugo mesto u Evropi, da se proporcionalo broju stanovnika i probliži Velikoj Britaniji", naveo je Vučić.
Biće kaže i onih koji će se zaraziti i posle dve vakcine, jedan ili dva od 100 imaće i teške posledice. 
"Ali, jedan ili dva u odnosu na 100 ja mislim da ogromnu zaštitu pruža nešem stanovništvu", istakao je Vučić.


Dodatno ubrzanje revakcinacije

Predsednik Srbije Aleksandar Vučić istakao je da je revakcinacija od ključnog značaja i izrazio uverenje da će Srbija, pre nego što dođu vakcine iz Kovaks programa, vakcinisati i revakcinisati 1,1 do 1,2 miliona ljudi, što je 20 odsto punoletnog življa.
Vučić je, u obraćanju medijima, rekao da su "Astra-Zeneka" vakcine, koje su danas stigle u Srbiju rezultat bilateralnog, odnosno trilateralnog dogovora.
"Ovde smo danas zato što smo bilateralnim putem, odnosno trilateralnim uspeli ovo da dogovorimo. Dugo smo se borili. Mnogo muka je bilo za britanske zvaničnike koliko smo ih davili našim zahtevima. Nije ni nama uvek prijatno da to radimo, ali se borimo za zemlju i građane. Oni su imali strpljenja da nas saslušaju. Onda smo mučili Paskala Sorioa, direktora Serum instituta u Indiji, pa sam poruke slao šefu diplomatije Indije i indijskom premijeru ", rekao je Vučić.
Vučić je kazao da je su rezultat svega toga vakcine, te da one nisu pale neba kako neki kažu, jer da je tako, kako je rekao, imali bi ih i drugi.
Upitan kada će stići vakcine iz Kovaks programa, rekao je da će oko 100.000 "Astra-Zeneka" možda stići u prvoj polovini marta.
"Mi ćemo dodatno da ubrzamo revakcinaciju. Ona je od ključnog značaja. Prva vakcina ne znači ništa, pa kada primite drugu onda petnaest dana ne smete da se opuštate. Tek posle toga možete nešto malo da se opustite"; dodao je Vučić.

Spoiler:

Kao što sam obećala updejt
9. dan posle revakcine sinopharmom podigla su se antitela i to na s protein poprilično a blago i na ove druge
A svi tvrde da na njega ni ne treba da se vadi za kinesku https://t.co/37v0IXHF2i pic.twitter.com/49QR3oLhex

— krava muzara 🦦 (@kravicamuuu) February 21, 2021