South Africa Rejects Approval of 'Sputnik V' Vaccine Over AIDS Concerns

Citizens are waiting at a COVID-19 vaccination site set up in a mid-level hospital located in the downtown area of Pretoria, the capital of South Africa. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] South Africa has rejected the emergency use authorization of the Russian-developed COVID-19 vaccine 'Sputnik V' due to concerns about Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) stated on the 18th (local time) that men vaccinated with Sputnik V may have an increased risk of contracting the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which causes AIDS. SAHPRA pointed out that the adenovirus type 5 (Ad5), used as a vector to deliver the antigen in Sputnik V, raises safety concerns for populations at high risk of HIV infection. South Africa is currently known to have the highest number of AIDS patients in the world.

SAHPRA said it requested explanatory data from the Russian side but did not receive any, and made this decision after consulting domestic and international scientists. However, it added that it would review the vaccine if Russia submits additional data that can dispel safety concerns.

The Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, under the Russian Ministry of Health, which developed the Sputnik V vaccine, strongly denied these claims as completely unfounded. They explained that these concerns are based on small-scale studies and that they will provide additional information to prove the vaccine's safety.

Currently, the Sputnik V vaccine is being administered in about 45 countries worldwide. However, it has not yet received approval from the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or the European Medicines Agency (EMA).