Russia claimed on Wednesday that the COVID-19 Sputnik V vaccine is 92% effective after Pfizer announced its vaccine is over 90% effective, Reuters reported.
Russia’s sovereign wealth fund’s claim is based on interim results from their second stage of human trials, Reuters reported. Pfizer and BioNTech announced Monday that vaccine was over 90% effective in human trials, according to a statement. (RELATED: Russia Approves 1st Coronavirus Vaccine Amid Race For Cure)
“We are showing, based on the data, that we have a very effective vaccine,” said Russia Direct Investment Fund head Kirill Dmitriev, Reuters reported. Dmitriev said this type of news would be what those working on the vaccine would tell their grandchildren.
Experts warned Russia’s results are from a small pool of volunteers, but called the findings encouraging and further proof that vaccines can stop COVID-19, Reuters reported. Russia’s analysis is based on 20 patients who were infected during the trials and how many of those received a placebo, Reuters reported.
The Russia Direct Investment Fund, which supported the vaccine research, said people who got the vaccine are 92% less likely to contract COVID-19 compared to the placebo, Reuters reported. This result exceeds the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 50% effectiveness standard for COVID-19 vaccines.
Russia’s data is based on 16,000 people who got two dosages, Reuters reported. There will be 40,000 volunteer participants for Russia’s third phase in Moscow, and 25% will get the placebo vaccine, Reuters reported.
Pfizer’s third phase of human trials had 43,538 participants, 94 of whom contracted the virus, according to a company statement.
“I assume there was political pressure after the press release from Pfizer and BioNTech earlier in the week to now draw level with their own data,” said Bodo Plachter, deputy director of the Institute of Virology at the Mainz University, Reuters reported.
“What is missing for now is an analysis of statistical significance,” Plachter said.
Russia says its Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine is 92% effective https://t.co/NdB9voAGWR pic.twitter.com/doV8yDvP8S
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 11, 2020
Russia was the first to register a COVID-19 vaccine in August before launching widespread human trials. Currently, 10,000 people not within the trials, like doctors and teachers, have received the vaccine, Reuters reported.
Pfizer will continue tests until 164 participants in the trial contract the coronavirus, the statement said. The Russia Direct Investment Fund said Russia will keep doing trials for six months, Reuters reported.
Pfizer didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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