Nearing end of clinical trials, Sputnik V social media campaign launches

Russia first gained regulatory approval for its coronavirus vaccine candidate back in August after only two months of human testing.

By SARAH BEN-NUN
Coronavirus vaccine under development (illustrative) (photo credit: DADO RUVIC/REUTERS)
Coronavirus vaccine under development (illustrative)
(photo credit: DADO RUVIC/REUTERS)
Russia's coronavirus vaccine candidate, Sputnik V, has gained enough traction that its backers on Monday confidently launched a social media campaign.
Russia's Health Ministry has said that Sputnik V is 90% effective, according to Reuters.
Using the #SputnikV hashtag on mainstream social media platforms, scientists from the Gamaleya National Center for Microbiology will take audiences through the production of the vaccine, while individuals who receive it will use it to share their personal stories.
Also behind the campaign are the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Russia's sovereign wealth fund, in addition to international partners.
The vaccine "aims to give mankind hope that they will soon be able to break free from the COVID-19 pandemic and go back to normal life" sans social-distancing guidelines, said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the RDIF.
Russia first gained regulatory approval for its coronavirus vaccine candidate back in August after only two months of human testing. At the time, it was reportedly alarming to experts, as clinical trials usually only have about a 10% success rate.
On Thursday, Hadassah-University Medical Center confirmed its ability to purchase about 1.5 million doses of Sputnik, to arrive in Israel within the next few months.
Sputnik V is currently among the World Health Organization's top-10 candidate vaccines nearing the end of clinical trials, joining Novavax, Moderna, and Pfizer.
Clinical trials of Sputnik V have been announced in the UAE, India, Venezuela and Belarus.