ROME, June 15. / TASS /. The first results of a study on the effectiveness of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus variants, conducted in Rome, may be made public in two weeks. The director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases named after Lazzaro Spallanzani Francesco Vaya announced this at a press conference for journalists of the Foreign Press Association on Tuesday.
“I don’t want to talk in advance about the research that is underway. We will announce the results at an opportune moment. Perhaps we can say something in a couple of weeks,” Vaya said. He said that in accordance with the previously signed memorandum on scientific cooperation with the National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after N.F. Gamaleya, three employees of the Russian institution came to work at his institute. “They have been working in the laboratory for 15 days,” Vayai said. Earlier it was reported that research was to begin at the end of April.
Vaya did not specify whether his institute received samples of the Russian vaccine for research. He indicated that the Italian Medicines Agency (Aifa) had been informed about the work.
Vaya previously announced that Sputnik V is planned to be used in a study by the Institute for the combined use of vaccines, including adenovirus-type and mRNA technology-based ones, with the participation of volunteers. “If we get results on the effectiveness of the mix, which is being talked about because similar studies have been carried out in different countries – the UK, Spain, Germany, I hope in this way to strengthen public opinion regarding their safety,” added Vaya.
Earlier, the Italian government decided not to use the vaccine of the Swedish-British company AstraZeneca among people under 60 years old. Those who received the first dose in this age group will receive the second dose with a drug based on mRNA technology.
See also: “Sputnik V”, “Epivakkorona”, “Kovivak”, “Sputnik Light”. What is known about Russian vaccines
