Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Should the world be more open to Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine?
Russia has granted emergency approval for two locally-made vaccines, EpiVacCorona and CoviVac. However, Russia’s 'Sputnik V' is by far the most promising.
The vaccine was widely criticised during its development for a rushed rollout and "questionable" early data. However, Sputnik V is proving to be a success.
Now, as European nations scramble to secure enough vaccines, some of Russia's staunchest critics are considering using Sputnik V as well.
The name Sputnik V invokes memories of the space race during which Russia was pitted against the West. Sputnik was the name of a Russian satellite — the first launched by any nation into orbit.
The pace with which Russia approached the COVID-19 vaccination race triggered alarms bell around the world.
When Mr Putin announced the vaccine had been approved in August, before stage three human trials had been completed, he was accused of recklessness by many scientists. The news that the president's daughter had been given a jab did little to alleviate their concerns.
Ian Jones, a professor of virology at the University of Reading, said the scientific community's early scepticism was understandable. "The early suspicions about the development of the vaccine were that they were too fast and that there wasn't enough data," Professor Jones told the ABC.
By November, Russia had started vaccinating thousands of troops before the results of large-scale trials had been published. "It suggested that there was some sort of dodging going on," Professor Jones said.
However, he said the results of stage three trials tell a different story. "This is clearly not the case," he said.
"Whatever they chose to do beforehand is now swept away by the actual data from the phase three trial."
Sputnik V boasts 92 per cent efficacy
The results of stage three human trials published in the Lancet, demonstrate efficacy of 92 per cent percent.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine boats 95 per cent and the Oxford-AstraZeneca team reported 70 per cent efficacy based on pooled data.
A US trial of the AstraZeneca vaccine, published this week, suggested efficacy of 79 per cent and total protection against severe disease. However, US health officials later suggested outdated information may have been used.
Professor Jones said that while he'd already received an AstraZeneca jab, he would have no reservations about getting the Sputnik V vaccine. "I would certainly take it," he said.
The Sputnik V vaccine works in a similar way to the AstraZeneca product. It uses a modified version of a common cold-like virus as a "vector" to harmlessly introduce part of the coronavirus's genetic code to the body.
This allows the immune system to recognise and fight the coronavirus, even without a previous infection.
However, Sputnik V uses different versions of these vectors in the first and second doses, which are given 21 days apart.
Professor Jones said it might give the vaccine a slight advantage. "What this is supposed to rule out, is the fact that the first shot can raise immunity that might stop the second shot," he said.
"It's a theoretical concern more than a real concern, but it's the only vaccine that does that." "The others use the same thing again and again."
However, it requires two different versions to be produced which may complicate the rollout, he said.
The Russian government says more than 6 million people have received at least one dose of a vaccine, but a recent poll suggested 60 per cent of Russians don't want the Sputnik V.
According to figures compiled by Our World in Data, Russia has administered six doses for every 100 people.
Germany has administered 13 doses per 100 people, the UK 45 per 100 and Australia just 1.4 per 100.
European nations turn to Russia
The Sputnik V is already being used in dozens of countries across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America.
However, its growing acceptance in the European Union is exposing divisions and threatening the bloc's coordinated approach to vaccine procurement, which has struggled to secure enough doses for member states.
Slovakia and Hungary have already taken deliveries of Sputnik V, bypassing the European Medicines Agency which has placed the vaccine under a "rolling review". Austria and the Czech Republic have also expressed an interest in using it.
And there are plans to start producing the vaccine in Italy later this year.
"Despite the deliberate discrediting of our vaccine, more and more countries are showing interest in it," Mr Putin said this week.
Relations between the EU and Russia are at low point due to disputes over aggression in Ukraine, cyberattacks on European institutions and the poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
Earlier this month, EU Council President Charles Michel publicly questioned Russia's motives, accusing it of running "highly limited by widely publicised" foreign vaccination campaigns which he said amounted to "propaganda".
But the Kremlin said on Monday that Mr Michel and Mr Putin spoke about the possibility of using Russian vaccines in Europe.
Even Germany – an outspoken critic of Russia – says it would be prepared to purchase the Sputnik V. "I am actually very much in favour of us doing it nationally if the European Union does not do something," German health minister Jens Spahn said last week.
However, the EU's Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton dismissed suggestions Europe needed Russia's assistance. "We have absolutely no need for Sputnik V," he told French television station TF1.
"It's a strange statement," Vladimir Putin replied. "We're not imposing anything on anyone."
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Gunman in latest mass shooting is Muslim immigrant who family says is mentally ill
Every time a Jihadi strikes the authorities say he was mentally ill. Is Islam a mental illness?
The gunman who killed 10 people in a Colorado supermarket has been revealed as an anti-Donald Trump Syrian immigrant whose family believed he was mentally ill.
Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was named as US authorities were grappling with a new surge in mass shootings that coincided with the country reopening from COVID restrictions.
President Joe Biden called on the Senate to pass two gun control measures, including an assault weapons ban and expanded background checks, as he expressed his sympathy for the victims.
Meanwhile, Boulder police said the 21-year-old shooter would soon be transferred from hospital to jail after he was shot in the leg during his rampage on Monday afternoon, local time.
He will face 10 murder charges after opening fire with an AR 15 into a crowd that included people lining up for COVID vaccinations.
His brother described him as a loner who was mentally disturbed, telling The Daily Beast he was paranoid.
He also had a criminal record that included an assault at his former high school, according to the Denver Post.
There was no clear motive for the shooting.
The site reported that Alissa’s now deleted Facebook page said he was born in Syria and “came to the USA in 2002”.
He also appeared to be concerned someone had targeted his phone because they were anti-Muslim.
“Yeah if these racist islamophobic people would stop hacking my phone and let me have a normal life I probably could,” he posted in July 2019.
Following the 2019 Christchurch massacre he also shared a Facebook post from another user that read, “The Muslims at the #christchurch mosque were not the victims of a single shooter. They were the victims of the entire Islamophobia industry that vilified them.”
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IN BRIEF
Foolish DHS chief faces call to resign over border situation (Washington Times)
AOC staged photo-ops outside migrant facilities under Trump, but not anymore (Fox News)
FBI releases videos showing "most egregious" attacks on Capitol Police officers (Daily Wire)
Indiana AG warns Amazon about banning Ryan T. Anderson book on "transgenderism" (PJ Media)
Wheaton College to reword plaque honoring missionary martyrs James Elliot and Ed McCully because the word "savage" is used (Disrn)
Exactly what the world needs right now: Marvel unveils first LGBT Captain America (Disrn)
Child court judge, ex-head of LGBT group that promoted Drag Queen Story Hour, arrested on child porn charges (Daily Wire)
World Health Organization reportedly granted its puppeteer, China, authority to veto scientists on Wuhan mission (Daily Caller)
California trade group asks theme parks to mitigate screaming on rides to curb COVID spread (Disrn)
What could possible go wrong? Facebook planning to create version of Instagram for children under 13 (The Hill)
Communist China, which runs concentration camps and commits genocide, "furious and sad" about violence against Asian Americans in U.S. (The Hill)
Policy: Recover the moral imperative of law and order (City Journal)
Policy: The destructive power of Keynesian spending plans (Mises Institute)
Democrats' House immigration bills will hit snag in the Senate (Examiner)
Climate pseudo-scientist Michael Mann's lawsuit against National Review finally dismissed after nearly nine years (Power Line)
Heartland GOP governors rally in response to ant-meat attack by Colorado Governor Jared Polis (Free Beacon)
Double standards: CNN and MSNBC erupted over Trump's ramp walk — but virtually ignore Biden's embarrassing staircase stumble (Fox News)
"It's going to completely redefine the game": Trump to return to social media with new platform (Post Millennial)
Almost half of all healthcare workers in U.S. haven't had COVID vaccine (CBS News)
California caves on AR-15 registration fight, will reopen bungled registration system and pause prosecutions (Free Beacon)
"Principled," or just a charlatan? South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem neuters bill protecting women's sports (PJ Media)
Europeans protest in the streets over unscientific lockdowns (Disrn)
Swimming upstream: International spectators will be barred from Olympics in Japan (Reuters)
China is restricting use of Tesla cars by its military and government workers (Business Insider)
Policy: The Equality Act is a push for ideological submission, not civil rights (National Review)
Policy: Colleges need a reality check on cancel culture (Minding the Campus)
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Also see my other blogs. Main ones below:
http://snorphty.blogspot.com (TONGUE-TIED)
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://awesternheart.blogspot.com.au/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
https://heofen.blogspot.com/ (MY OTHER BLOGS)
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