Moscow: The COVID-19 vaccine developed and tested in Russia generate neutralizing antibodies and showed only mild side-effects, the study by peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet showed. The study was conducted on 38 adults each in two 46-day trials.
The levels of neutralizing antibody response were similar to the immune response that people had after naturally recovering from Covid-19.
The researchers also looked at responses from T cells, another component of the immune system.”Outcomes from the trial also suggest the vaccines also produce a T cell response within 28 days,” the researchers wrote.
“These data collectively show that the vaccine is safe, well-tolerated, and does not cause serious adverse events in healthy adult volunteers. The vaccine is highly immunogenic,” the conclusion read.
The Russian vaccine, named “Sputnik V”, became the first in the world to be registered after it was approved by the country’s health regulators last month. Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the time that full-scale production was due to start in September.
The news led to criticism from around the world amid questions over its safety and efficacy. At the time, the vaccine had undergone rapid Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials on a small number of people but no data from them had been published. The Lancet study marks the first time trial results have been published in a well-respected international publication.