Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine - statistics & facts
Sputnik V (the V is pronounced as a letter), also known as Gam-COVID-Vac, is a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute in Russia. In August 2020, it became the first registered vaccine against the disease worldwide. Scientists in Russia and abroad criticized that the approval took place before the third phase of clinical trials. In February 2021, an article published in the medical journal The Lancet stated that the efficacy of Sputnik V stood at 91.6 percent, which significantly improved the vaccine's reputation. Over 70 countries approved the use of Sputnik V as of November 2021. The vaccine was free in Russia and cost 10 U.S. dollars per dose abroad. In May 2021, Russia registered Sputnik Light, a one-shot COVID-19 vaccine which contained the first component of Sputnik V. According to the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Sputnik Light showed an efficacy of 79.4 percent.
