Study shows 2 doses of Sputnik vaccine better than Pfizer
A Russian and Italian study showed that neutralising antibodies against the Omicron last longer in people who have had the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia than in people with the Pfizer vaccine. The study was done on a very small scale though, with just 51 people who received the Sputnik V vaccine and only 17 people with Pfizer. It was also bankrolled by the Russian Direct Investment Fund, the same organization that markets the Sputnik V vaccine internationally.
The test compared the blood serum of the people who received the 2 different vaccines, both in Moscow at the Gamaleya Institute which developed the Sputnik V vaccine and at the Spallanzani Institute in Italy. The blood serum samples were taken between 3 and 6 months after the person had received the second dose of either the Sputnik or Pfizer vaccine.
The results of the researchers’ testing show that the antibodies were more resistant to the Omicron variant after two doses of Sputnik V than they were to those with two doses of Pfizer. After the passage of time, the antibodies that neutralise the Omicron variant were present in 74% of the Sputnik recipients compared with only 57% of those who are vaccinated with Pfizer.
The study did show that those who received a booster shot with the Sputnik Light vaccine had a much better antibody response in fighting the Omicron variant than just the original 2 vaccines. The study included in the report issued on January 19 the recommendation that booster shots are clearly necessary in light of their test results. They also suggested that a booster shot of the Sputnik Light vaccine would enhance the effectiveness of other vaccine brands against the Delta and Omicron variants.
The small study will now seek peer review and verification before being officially published.
In Russia, Omicron is just beginning to take hold, with 1,600 cases officially recorded so far. But daily infection numbers are spiking, suggesting that the variant will spread quickly. Infections on Monday were recorded at about 34,000 while on Tuesday they had jumped to nearly 39,000.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
