Sputnik V’s effectiveness against Covid among HIV positive put to test
Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, has been shown to have an efficacy of 79% in people who are HIV positive, a study published in prestigious British medical journal The Lancet has revealed.
More than 24,000 HIV-positive people receiving antiretroviral therapy in the Russian capital took part in research jointly undertaken by the Gamaleya Center, which developed the jab, and the Moscow City Center for AIDS Prevention and Control.
Sputnik V’s efficacy was 79% in people living with HIV (PLHIV), the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which funded the development of the vaccine and now oversees its international distribution, said in a statement.
It proved over 90% effective against hospitalization and 97% effective against the development of moderate or severe coronavirus among those who were HIV positive, it continued.
Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm over the danger Covid-19 presented to PLHIVs, including a higher risk of suffering a severe case and an increase in mortality. To date, 23% of PLHIVs who have been hospitalized with coronavirus have died, according to the WHO.
The new study marks out Sputnik V as the world’s first inoculation against Covid-19 with a proven efficacy for HIV-positive people, with the RDIF calling it “the ultimate solution for vulnerable groups.”
