Developers of Sputnik V, Russia’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine, say that early, interim data from a large trial suggest that the shot appears to be 92% effective, but experts have raised questions about the claim. Russia touted Sputnik V, a two-shot vaccine, as the world’s first to receive a government go-ahead after it was approved in early August without completing advanced testing. The announcement comes just two days after Pfizer sparked worldwide optimism by reporting that an early peek at its vaccine data suggests it is 90% effective — although Pfizer, too, did not provide a detailed look at its data. But neither the international criticism nor the domestic skepticism has stopped Russia from promoting Sputnik V abroad. The government’s coronavirus task force has logged a total of more than 31,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 12, 2020 11:58 UTC