Russia approves 'Sputnik V' COVID-19 vaccine with little human testing

Jul 27, 2020
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One might imagine that some of the people vaccinated have been challenged with SARS-CoV-2 to see if it is effective. It seems likely they may have found some people willing to "volunteer" for the vaccine and a challenge test. While this is the ultimate "assay" for an effective vaccine, ethical issues are non-trivial.

At any rate, much still depends on immune competence of the individuals. It remains possible that ADE will be a problem in many people, especially older ones and those immune-compromised. Taking any of these vaccines run a risk for ADE until it is shown empirically that it does not.

There seems little to doubt that the Russians would not be going global with this news if the vaccine did not elicit a strong antibody response at the very least. Only time will tell if this vaccine will be more or less effective than others. We should all be hoping that the virus cannot significantly mutate at the antigenic determinant(s) of the spike protein that elicits antibody response. If it can, this vaccine might quickly become worthless, or worse.
 
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ste

Aug 13, 2020
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Shows the the Russian system is better than the West. The Western system is dominated by avoiding blame & litigation, and therefore isolates into components instead evaluating the common good. Socialist v capitalist methods basically. For example If it turns out that this vaccine when given to 100m people, 1000 have a severe reaction and die, then that vaccine would be banned let alone fail the test in the west .
But Russia can say that if less die from covid , then that is say 99,000 less deaths thanks to the vaccine (at a covid death rate of 1%) . That argument would fail in the West as the 1000 would sue for millions each and blame the pharma co, who would not get any benefit from saving the 99,000. In Russia the state can act for the common good and not for the individual. Therefore to get it approved quickly is sensible, if it fails the western standards, then it is those standards which are at fault.
 
Aug 21, 2020
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OH... No no no... Sputnik 5 and the Oxford vaccine have made the same mistake.. They both GMd the Spike protein (S) protein... In this second wave the S Protein has mutated, so the antibody cannot get a "lock" on its target.. Sputnik and Oxford are already OBSOLETE.

Next time try the Nucleocapsid ( N) protein.. If human antibodies are to big to bind with that guy ... Then Cameloids become our new.. BFF's.. Due to their teeny tiny antibodies.. We will beat this.
 
Jul 27, 2020
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Sputnik and Oxford are already OBSOLETE.

Can you provide any evidence for this claim? It is a highly significant comment and certainly has not been widely reported. A reliable reference or two would be nice.

It is highly doubtful they would be in phase III trials of the Oxford vaccine right now if it were obsolete.

It also seems likely they have tried all of the envelope proteins as antigens for a vaccine, in the recent past with previously known coronaviruses and animal models, and research has shown that the spike protein is the optimal target.