The roll-out of the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use in South Africa has been put on hold after it was found that it could have adverse reactions in populations prone to HIV.

Regulatory body, Sahpra, says that their concerns were raised about the safety of some components of the vaccine.

Research conducted in the Americas and South Africa found that Sputnik V, which is an Adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) vectored vaccine, could clash with pre-existing adenovirus-specific neutralising antibodies in a population.

Sahpra has asked Sputnik V’s manufacturers to provide data demonstrating its safety in settings of high HIV prevalence and incidence, but the body could not adequately address the request.

[Picture: indianexpress.com]