The Russian coronavirus vaccine that was greeted with skepticism when it was rushed into distribution in December has seen a 91.6% effective rate in Stage 3 clinical trials, CNN reports.
The Sputnik V vaccine test involved nearly 20,000 patients, a quarter of whom received a placebo. Of those who received a double dose of the vaccine, only 16 contracted the coronavirus, versus 62 in the placebo group.
The Russian vaccine was introduced a month before the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in the West. An advantage of the Sputnik V vaccine is that it only needs to be refrigerated to maintain viability, whereas the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines need sub-zero temperatures for storage and shipping.