Is Sputnik V Safe? Flu-Like Syndrome Observed in 10% Volunteers After Inoculation With Russian COVID-19 Vaccine

The deadly virus outbreak has created a major stir around the world in recent times claiming the lives of over 1.5 million people globally

A flu-like syndrome, which includes elevated body temperature was witnessed after the inoculation with the Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus or COVID-19 infection in around 10 percent of the volunteers. No serious reactions after giving the preparation have been detected, Sergei Glagolev, who is the aide to the Russian health minister reported on Tuesday.

"A flu-like syndrome which occurs in approximately 10% of those inoculated [is manifested] by elevation of body temperature usually to no more than 38 degrees Celsius which is reduced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. For instance, paracetamol is effective. No serious unexpected adverse reactions were detected during clinical trials," he mentioned at the 13th Russian scientific and practical Medicine and Quality-2020 conference with international participation.

COVID-19 Vaccine in Russia

Russia Coronavirus Vaccine
Russia Coronavirus Vaccine YouTube Grab/Sputnik

As per the official, the vaccine contains a very good safety profile and there are instances of local reactions that disappear in 1-3 days. He also noted that around 24,000 volunteers had participated already in the Sputnik V post-registration trials. "The interim data <...> showed that the risk [of the coronavirus infection] by Day 42 decreases by over 92%," the official stated. "I strongly hope that very soon <...> the detailed data on clinical trials [of the vaccine] will be published in the licensed research literature, including foreign scientific journals," he added.

On August 11, the European nation became the first country worldwide to register the vaccine against the coronavirus that was named Sputnik V. The preparation got developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry.

After the trials began in Moscow on September 7 while the first vaccine got administered to the volunteers on September 9. In total, 40,000 people took part in the program with around 10,000 of them getting the placebo instead of the vaccine. The deadly virus outbreak has created a major stir around the world in recent times infecting more than 67.7 million people worldwide.

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