COVID-19: Gap between Sputnik V shots can be extended up to 180 days, says Russia’s RDIF

The interval between the first and second Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine shots can be extended to 180 days, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said Friday, citing a better immune response. The remarks came after the Philippines Food and Drug Administration stated this week that Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute had requested the country to extend the gap between the 2 shots to 90 days from 21 days that the vaccine was being administered. The head of the Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Rolando Enrique Domingo announced a 42-day gap between Sputnik V doses stating that there was no issue with delaying the second dose. Russia’s Sputnik V is being manufactured by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in collaboration with the RDIF. 

Earlier last week, some countries such as Argentina and Kazakistan decided to widen the 2-shot gap of the Russian developed vaccine, quoting RDIF’s take on better immune response against the novel coronavirus. In an official press release issued by Sputnik V on its website, Alexander Ginsburg, MD, Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Gamaleya Research Centre said, “We believe it is possible to increase the minimum interval between the first and second vaccine shots from the earlier approved 21 days up to three months.” 

'Extending interval will not affect vaccine immunity,' says manufacturer 

Furthermore, he stated, “Extending the interval will not affect the vaccine-induced immune response, and, in some cases, will enhance and prolong it.”

The company stated that the “conclusion comes from our experience in using vaccines using the identical adenovirus platform and, most importantly, from successful mass vaccination campaigns in Russia and numerous other countries.” The Russian firm made a statement, saying that it supports the earlier decision respected health regulators, such as the ANMAT (Argentina), on extending the interval between Sputnik V shots.

“Given the exceptionally high demand for the vaccine among the population, this decision would significantly expedite immunization. We believe that it is up to each national regulator to decide whether to retain the 21-day interval between shots or to extend it to up to 3 months.”