Anxious wait for 02nd Sputnik Jab

by Staff Writer 19-08-2021 | 6:48 PM

COLOMBO (News1st); Data from the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health reveals that 144,564 people are awaiting the second dose of the Russian Sputnik Vaccine.

The Epidemiology Unit noted that 159,081 Sri Lankans were jabbed with the first dose and as of 18th August 2021, only 14,517 people received the second dose.

The Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac) is an adenoviral-based, two-part vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

In Sri Lanka, the Russian state institute Gamaleya National Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology produced Sputnik Vaccine was administered in Kandy and during that process those receiving the jab had to consent to only receiving the first dose of the vaccine.

According to Dr. Hemantha Herath, the Deputy Director-General of Public Health Services in Sri Lanka the first dose was administered keeping in mind that it was sufficient against COVID-19.

The administration of the second dose will be decided, he added.

Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, the head of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology at Sri Jayewardenepura University, University of Sri Jayewardenepura says that one dose of the Russian-made Sputnik vaccine has recorded very good efficacy levels.

This conclusion was reached during a study of persons who received only one dose of the Russian-manufactured Sputnik vaccine.

According to a study of 327 people who received only one dose of the Sputnik vaccine, 88.7 percent were found to have developed immunity against COVID-19.

This observation revealed that the immune system develops in the body four weeks after taking the first dose.

According to a report released by the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, the first dose of Sputnik was found to have developed an immunity of 82.6% in people over 60 years of age.

Although one dose of Sputnik rice vaccine is sufficient for good immunity, the study concludes that a second dose may be extremely beneficial as it has been observed to produce extremely high levels of antibodies in the body.

The research team included Dr. Nilika Malavige, Professor, Department of Allergy, Immunology and Cell Biology, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, Professors Graham Ogg and Alan Townsend of the Oxford University.