COVID-19 Vaccine Sputnik V Does Not Cause Infertility or Major Side Effects, Says Developer

Moscow, June 19: Sputnik V, the world's first registered vaccine against coronavirus (COVID-19), does not cause infertility or major side effects, the developer said today. COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V is developed by Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology in collaboration with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). Social media is flooded with fake posts that claim Sputnik V and other COVID-19 vaccines makes people infertile. COVID-19 Vaccine for Children Likely To Be Registered in Russia in September.

However, Alexander Gintsburg, the Director of Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, assured that Sputnik V does not cause infertility because the vaccine is based on adenoviruses. Gintsburg underlined that the vaccine's two components use adenovirus type 26 and adenovirus type 5, which he said have been circulating among humans for a very long time. COVID-19 Vaccine Update: Sputnik V is Over 95% Efficient, Claims Russia.

"Has anyone been made infertile or incapable of other reproductive processes? We have never found it in any medical reports," Gintsburg was quoted as saying by Sputnik News. The Gamaleya head also said the vaccine does not cause any negative side effects among those vaccinated with it. Registered in Russia in August last year, Sputnik V has been approved in 67 countries including India.

India's Drug Controller General (DCGI) had in April issued permission for Dr. Reddy's Laboratories to import the Russian vaccine to India for emergency use. Sputnik V is the third vaccine to be cleared for immunisation programme in India after COVAXIN and Covishield. With an efficacy of 91.6 per cent, Sputnik V became the first vaccine against COVID-19 in the world.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 19, 2021 01:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).