Sputnik V effective against Covid-19 in HIV positive patients

Russian Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V has shown effectiveness in HIV positive patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART), a study published in the Lancet journal showed.

The cohort study funded by Ministry of Health of Russia and Moscow Healthcare Department was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the standard Sputnik V vaccination regimen in 24,423 HIV positive Moscow residents during April to September 2021.

The participants included dominance of Delta variant, with estimation of hospitalisation and severe illness rates in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. Data were extracted from the Moscow anti-Covid-19 vaccination and Covid-19 incidence Registries.

HIV damages one’s immune system because it targets CD4 T lymphocytes (CD4 cells) cells which help coordinate the immune response by stimulating other immune cells. According to doctors, HIV persons who have a CD4 count above 500 can maintain good health while HIV patients who have a CD4 cell count below 200 are at high risk of developing serious diseases.

The study data indicated that Sputnik V’s epidemiological efficiency in the entire cohort of HIV positive persons on ART was 76.33 per cent in HIV+ with CD4+ ≥ 350 cells/µl vaccine efficiency was 79.42 per cent, avoiding hospitalisation in 90.12 per cent cases and protecting from the development of moderate or severe disease in 97.06 per cent. For delta variant in this group the efficiency was 65.35 per cent, avoiding the need for hospitalization in 75.77 per cent cases and protecting from the development of moderate or severe disease in 93.05 per cent of patients.

HIV-infection is known to aggravate the course of many infectious diseases, including Covid-19. However, international guidance recommends vaccination of HIV positive individuals against SARS-CoV-2, there is a paucity of data on epidemiological efficacy assessment of Covid-19 vaccines among people living with HIV.

The authors said that the study suggested epidemiological efficiency of immunization with Sputnik V in HIV positive and ART treated patients for the original and delta SARS-CoV-2 variants.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 23 per cent of HIV positive people hospitalised with Covid have died. According to the union health ministry data, the total number of people living with HIV in India was estimated at 23.19 lakh (18.33 lakh– 29.78 lakh) in 2020. Sputnik V is a part of the central government’s national immunization program against Covid-19. Business Today