COVID-19: Belarus becomes first country after Russia to begin inoculation using Sputnik V

Belarus, on December 29, became the first European nation to begin its mass inoculation drive using Russia’s Sputnik V jabs. Moscow based Gamalaya Institute and Russian Health Ministry, which jointly developed the vaccine have claimed its efficacy to be 91.4 per cent. However, the vaccine has drawn considerable scepticism from the scientific community since its release in August this year.

“The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund), announce the beginning of vaccination with Russian Sputnik V vaccine in Belarus,” the official statement revealed.

Vaccines reach Belarus

Belarus was the first country after Russia to approve Sputnik V jabs and registered the vaccine December 21. In a statement on its official website, Sputnik V wrote that first doses of the vaccine arrived in Belarus on Tuesday, December 29 as the erstwhile Soviet republic began its mass inoculation drive against coronavirus. The website also revealed that Russia Sovereign Wealth Fund (RDIF) has signed Belarusian pharmaceutical brand Belpharmprom to establish local production of Sputnik V in Belarus.

Read: Russia Will Jointly Produce Sputnik V Vaccine For COVID-19 With India: Russian Envoy

“On November 11, 2020, RDIF and the Belpharmprom holding company signed a cooperation agreement to prepare the pharmaceutical company’s production facilities for the production of the vaccine,” Sputnik V announced.

Meanwhile, commenting on vaccination drive, Belarusian Health Minister Dmitry Pinevich, stated that immunization remains a key component in the fight against the epidemic adding that a new stage in Belarus had begun with the mass vaccination against COVID-19. “Medical staff, teachers, and those who get to contact a lot of people due to their job will be the first to get vaccinated. Vaccination will be entirely voluntary,” he said in a statement.

Read:  Putin Claims COVID-19 Vaccine Sputnik V Has 95% Efficacy, Terms It 'safe And Efficient'

Composition of Sputnik V

The Sputnik V vaccine is based on a modified version of adenovirus, a common cold virus. The vector stripped of its disease-causing genes and modified to carry genetic instructions for making the coronavirus spike protein. This prompts the cells to cause an immune response which eventually protects against the SARS-CoV-2. 

Read: COVID-19: AstraZeneca Shot Will Be Effective Against COVID-19 Variant, CEO Claims

Read: Vladimir Putin May Soon Receive Russian COVID-19 Vaccine Sputnik V: Kremlin