© Reuters.
MOSCOW, Nov 29 (Reuters) – Russia said on Monday it could provide booster doses to protect against the omicron variant of the coronavirus if necessary.
The omicron variant sent investors seeking refuge in safe assets on Friday. The new strain, which is spreading around the world, poses a very high risk of sudden increases in infections that could have serious consequences in some places.
Russia developed its two-dose Sputnik V vaccine last year and has also rolled out a single-shot Sputnik Light vaccine. He says they have shown high efficacy in trials but have not yet been approved by the WHO.
Russia said Monday that its vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya Institute, would likely work against omicron and that if not, it would be poised to produce hundreds of millions of booster shots.
“The Gamaleya Institute believes that Sputnik V and Light will neutralize omicron as they have the highest efficacy against other mutations,” said Kirill Dmitriev, director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which markets the vaccine abroad.
“In the unlikely event that a modification is needed, we will provide several hundred million doses by February 20, 2022,” said Dmitriev.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov and Vladimir Soldatkin; Written by Alexander Marrow. Edited in Spanish by Javier Leira)
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