Sputnik Light and Sputnik V Vaccination Is Effective at Protecting Medical Personnel from COVID-19 during the Period of Delta Variant Dominance

Medical personnel are a group of people that often encounter infectious agents, leading to greater risk of contracting infectious diseases. Specific prevention of diseases in this group is a priority. The epidemiological effectiveness of COVID-19 prevention in the group of medical workers due to the emergence of new variants of concern of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has not been studied in sufficient depth. We conducted a study of the effectiveness of vaccine use to protect medical workers at a large medical center for obstetrics and gynecology in Moscow. Sputnik V and Sputnik Light were the main vaccines used for the prevention of COVID-19. The vaccines are based on a variant of the S-protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with adenovirus serotypes 5 and 26 as the vector for delivery. Vaccination of employees occurred during the period in which the Delta variant was spreading. The overall epidemiological effectiveness was 81.7% (73.1–87.6%) during the period in which the Delta variant was dominant. During the period from the beginning of vaccination (26 November 2020) until 8 February 2022, the overall effectiveness was 89.1% (86.9–91.0%). As expected, the highest effectiveness during this period was obtained in the group that received the third and fourth doses—96.5% (75.0–99.5%). The severity of COVID-19 in the vaccinated group was significantly lower than in the unvaccinated group

Revaccination in Age-Risk Groups with Sputnik V Is Immunologically Effective and Depends on the Initial Neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibodies Level

Vaccination against COVID-19 has occurred in Russia for more than two years. According to the Russian official clinical guidelines to maintain tense immunity in the conditions of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to use booster immunization six months after primary vaccination or a previous COVID-19 contraction. It is especially important to ensure the maintenance of protective immunity in the elderly, who are at risk of severe courses of COVID-19. Meanwhile, the immunological effectiveness of the booster doses has not been sufficiently substantiated. To investigate the immunogenicity of Sputnik V within the recommended revaccination regimen and evaluate the effectiveness of booster doses, we conducted this study on 3983 samples obtained from individuals previously vaccinated with Sputnik V in Moscow. We analyzed the level of antibodies in BAU/mL three times: (i) six months after primary immunization immediately before the booster (RV), (ii) 3 weeks after the introduction of the first component of the booster (RV1), and (iii) 3 weeks after the introduction of the second component of the booster (RV2). Six months after the primary vaccination with Sputnik V, 95.5% of patients maintained a positive level of IgG antibodies to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2. The degree of increase in the specific virus-neutralizing antibodies level after revaccination increased with a decrease in their initial level just before the booster dose application. In the group of people with the level of antibodies up to 100 BAU/mL six months after the vaccination, a more than eightfold increase (p p p p < 0.05), regardless of the previous COVID-19 infection. Thus, revaccination is most effective in individuals with an antibody level below 500 BAU/mL, regardless of the vaccinee age and COVID-19 contraction. For the first time, it has been shown that a single booster dose of the Sputnik vaccine is sufficient to form a protective immunity in most vaccinees regardless of age and preexisting antibody level

Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 Major Genetic Lineages in Moscow in the Context of Vaccine Prophylaxis

Findings collected over two and a half years of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that the level immunity resulting from vaccination and infection is insufficient to stop the circulation of new genetic variants. The short-term decline in morbidity was followed by a steady increase. The early identification of new genetic lineages that will require vaccine adaptation in the future is an important research target. In this study, we summarised data on the variability of genetic line composition throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in Moscow, Russia, and evaluated the virological and epidemiological features of dominant variants in the context of selected vaccine prophylaxes. The prevalence of the Omicron variant highlighted the low effectiveness of the existing immune layer in preventing infection, which points to the necessity of optimising the antigens used in vaccines in Moscow. Logistic growth curves showing the rate at which the new variant displaces the previously dominant variants may serve as early indicators for selecting candidates for updated vaccines, along with estimates of efficacy, reduced viral neutralising activity against the new strains, and viral load in previously vaccinated patients

Sputnik V Effectiveness against Hospitalization with COVID-19 during Omicron Dominance

Mass vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 affected more than 90% of the population in most developed countries. The new epidemiologic wave of COVID-19 has been ongoing since the end of 2021. It is caused by a virus variant B.1.1.529, also known as &ldquo;Omicron&rdquo; and its descendants. The effectiveness of major vaccines against Omicron is not known. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the Sputnik V vaccine. The main goal is to assess its protection against hospitalization in the period of Omicron dominance. We conducted our study based on a large clinical center in Moscow (Russia) where 1112 patients were included. We used the case-population method to perform the calculations. The data we obtained indicate that the Omicron variant causes at least 90% of infections in the studied cohort. The effectiveness of protection against hospitalization with COVID-19 in our study was 85.9% (95% CI 83.0&ndash;88.0%) for those who received more than one dose. It was 87.6% (95% CI 85.4&ndash;89.5%) and 97.0% (95% CI 95.9&ndash;97.8%) for those who received more than two or three doses. The effectiveness in cases of more severe forms was higher than for less severe ones. Thus, present study indicates the high protective efficacy of vaccination against hospitalization with COVID-19 in case of Omicron lineage

DataSheet_1_Estimation of anti-orthopoxvirus immunity in Moscow residents and potential risks of spreading Monkeypox virus.docx

WHO has declared the outbreak of monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern. In less than three months, monkeypox was detected in more than 30 000 people and spread to more than 80 countries around the world. It is believed that the immunity formed to smallpox vaccine can protect from monkeypox infection with high efficiency. The widespread use of Vaccinia virus has not been carried out since the 1980s, which raises the question of the level of residual immunity among the population and the identification of groups requiring priority vaccination. We conducted a cross-sectional serological study of remaining immunity among Moscow residents. To do this, a collection of blood serum samples of age group over 30 years old was formed, an in-house ELISA test system was developed, and a virus neutralization protocol was set up. Serum samples were examined for the presence of IgG antibodies against Vaccinia virus (n=2908), as well as for the ability to neutralize plaque formation with a Vaccinia virus MNIIVP-10 strain (n=299). The results indicate the presence of neutralizing antibody titer of 1/20 or more in 33.3 to 53.2% of people older than 45 years. Among people 30-45 years old who probably have not been vaccinated, the proportion with virus neutralizing antibodies ranged from 3.2 to 6.7%. Despite the higher level of antibodies in age group older than 66 years, the proportion of positive samples in this group was slightly lower than in people aged 46-65 years. The results indicate the priority of vaccination in groups younger than 45, and possibly older than 66 years to ensure the protection of the population in case of spread of monkeypox among Moscow residents. The herd immunity level needed to stop the circulation of the virus should be at least 50.25 – 65.28%.</p