Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has been found to be safe and effective, in more good news on the vaccination front.

According to the BBC, peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet reported that late-stage trial results show that vaccine efficiency is 91.6 per cent.

The trial involved around 20,000 people.

The vaccine is also deemed to be safe, and also offers protection against hospitalisation and death.

Sputnik V is named after the Soviet-era satellite launched in space in 1957.

It was registered in August 2020, with Russian President Vladimir Putin saying that his daughter had taken the vaccine.

How the vaccine works

Sputnik V uses a modified cold-type virus, designed to be harmless.

When injected, it exposes the body to a small fragment of the Covid-19 virus.

This allows the body to produce antibodies to fight the virus, which will work if the vaccinated person is infected for real.

Side effects such as sore arms, fatigue and a raised temperature were reported, but were mild with no serious reactions.

The vaccine can be stored in a standard fridge, making it easier to store and transport.

However, The Lancet pointed out that the analysis only involved symptomatic cases.

More work is needed to determine if the vaccine stops asymptomatic cases and prevents vaccinated people from infecting others.

Initial criticism for "rushed" rollout

Sputnik V was previously criticised for seemingly being rushed out to the public before late-stage mass "Phase 3" trials were conducted.

Initial trials were small-scale, involving 38 healthy adults.

Other countries bought up supplies of Sputnik V, including Vietnam and it is being used in countries like Hungary, Iran and Argentina.

However, the trial results will be encouraging to countries that are turning to Russia for the vaccine.

Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash