What Sputnik V's emergency approval may mean for India

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss Dr Reddy’s application seeking emergency use approval for the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine.

India could have another vaccine in its arsenal to combat the coronavirus in a few weeks. Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, which is being manufactured by Indian pharma firm Dr. Reddy's, is nearing the end of its small clinical trials in the country, and the firm has also approached the drugs standard body for emergency use approval.

Read | India may approve Russia's Sputnik V vaccine within next few weeks

The Sputnik V vaccine, according to a study posted in the reputed medical journal The Lancet has shown an encouraging 91 per cent efficacy. Should the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) give its nod to the vaccine, what are the likely implications?

A third, more credible vaccine in India's fight against Covid-19

So far, the CDSCO has approved two vaccines, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, and Serum Institute of India's (SII) Covishield - the local name of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Covaxin, which was approved without finishing its clinical trials, is being administered to healthcare and frontline workers on trial mode. Currently, in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials, the efficacy of the vaccine is unknown. Covishield on the other hand does have an efficacy, ranging between 53 to 79 per cent based on the dosage interval.

According to SII, the efficacy of its vaccine for a dosage interval of under 6 weeks is 53.28 per cent, while the efficacy when the shots are taken 12 weeks apart is 78.79 per cent.

Also Read | India's Dr. Reddy's seeks emergency use authorization for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine

Sputnik V, in comparison, shows efficacy of 91.6% when taken 21 days apart, as per figures published by The Lancet.

Reduced spending on vaccine storage

Sputnik V is cost-effective and space-effective in that it can be stored in a fridge. This eases the Union Health Ministry's financial burden on vaccine storage.

Also Read | Russia's Sputnik V vaccine 91.6% effective in late-stage trial

No need to worry about side effects

The clinical trials study that The Lancet published also noted that side effects, particularly adverse side effects, were rare. Should this hold true, Sputnik V's credibility could increase further, given the recent vaccination-related deaths in the country have gone above 30.