Argentina has approved the use of the medication Sputnik Light - both as a vaccine and a booster dose, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is marketing the vaccine abroad, said on Monday.
The Latin American country was among the first to register Sputnik V, certifying the vaccine in December 2020. Argentina also hosted research combining Sputnik Light and other vaccines (AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Moderna, and CanSino), proving that the Russian medication is an effective universal booster.
Vaccine "cocktails" that included Sputnik Light resulted in higher levels of antibodies than homogenous vaccines, according to the RDIF.
A health worker prepares a dose of the Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac) vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Tecnopolis Park, in Buenos Aires, Argentina April 15, 2021.
© REUTERS / AGUSTIN MARCARIAN
The single-dose Sputnik Light vaccine is based on the first component of Sputnik V, on the recombinant human adenovirus serotype number 26 (rAd26) vector. It has proven effective against new strains of the coronavirus and showed no serious side effects following inoculation.