UAE gives approval for use of Sputnik V vaccine to combat Covid-19

The Sputnik V vaccine was registered under the emergency use authorisation procedure based on the results from the Russian Phase III clinical trials on more than 33,000 people.

The Phase III clinical trials of the vaccine in the UAE is currently being undertaken under the supervision of the health ministry and Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DOH). Around 1,000 volunteers have been registered into this trial.

Prior to the EUA procedure, the trial, which began in December last year in the UAE, was enabled through a partnership between RDIF and Abu Dhabi-based Aurugulf Health Investment and Pure Health, the local marketing distribution for the vaccine.

Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev said: “The UAE is one of Russia’s key partners in the Middle East. RDIF appreciates the cooperation with UAE’s health authorities and welcomes the regulatory approval of Sputnik V. We strive to help people of UAE to get access to a safe and effective Russian vaccine against coronavirus based on a proven and well-researched platform of human adenoviral vectors.

“The decision to include Sputnik V in UAE’s national vaccine portfolio is an important step towards protecting the population with one of the best vaccines against coronavirus in the world.”

RDIF claimed that Sputnik V has an efficacy of over 90%, offering full protection against severe cases of Covid-19.

The vaccine is touted to have been developed on the platform of human adenoviral vectors that cause common cold.

It uses two different vectors for the two shots during the course of the vaccination, providing immunity for a longer duration, compared to vaccines using the same delivery mechanism for both the shots.

It is further claimed that the vaccine causes no strong allergies. It can also be stored in a conventional refrigerator without the need for additional cold-chain infrastructure, as its storage temperature is +2+8 C. The vaccine is priced less than $10 per shot.

Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, the developer of the vaccine, is now collaborating with AstraZeneca on a joint clinical trial in improving the efficacy of AstraZeneca vaccine.

The Sputnik V vaccine has secured approval in Russia, Belarus, Serbia, Argentina, Bolivia, Algeria, Palestine, Venezuela, Paraguay and Turkmenistan. In the EU, the process for approval has been initiated.