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The “V” in the name of the Russian corona vaccine Sputnik V stands neither for “five” nor for “vaccine”.

It stands for “Victory”, as announced on the vaccine's official Twitter account.

With the temporary suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the Sputnik V debate has flared up again.

Most recently, the state heads of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia demanded European approval.

WELT clarifies the most important questions about the vaccine and other candidates.

What is the status of the European approval?

Russia had already approved Sputnik V in August 2020 - as the world's first vaccine against the coronavirus.

The clinical studies had not yet ended at this point in time.

Internationally, Russia's advance has been criticized as a “propaganda coup”.

However, some countries showed early interest in the vaccine.

According to Russian information, it is now approved in 51 countries, including Hungary.

Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) also campaigned for the Russian vaccine - despite the political tensions surrounding the Kremlin critic Alexej Navalny.

However, she insisted that Sputnik had to go through the regular approval process in Europe.

At the beginning of the year she phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin to sound out how the German Paul Ehrlich Institute can support the application for approval before the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

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However, approval from the EMA is slow, which is apparently also due to Russia itself.

In mid-February, the authority announced that it had not yet received an application for approval from the Russian vaccine company.

It was not until March that the authority began a so-called rolling review - a process that is intended to accelerate approval.

"The Russian vaccine is obviously the best in the world"

The Kremlin's propaganda apparatus describes the deliveries in more than 40 countries as the triumphant advance of the Russian corona vaccine.

The state news agency "TASS" is sending self-assured statements from the Kremlin chief in a loop.

Source: WELT / Christoph Wanner

The study results of the vaccine candidates are evaluated before all the necessary data for the approval application are available.

The total duration of the test cannot be predicted, it says there.

Why has Germany not yet ordered Sputnik V vaccine doses?

"There is nothing against getting a vaccine with European approval," said a spokesman for the Ministry of Health.

In fact, the previously approved vaccines Biontech / Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson were ordered before EMA approval.

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The previously unapproved vaccine from Curevac has also been ordered.

A total of around 300 million cans were ordered for Germany, but delivery delays occur again and again from all manufacturers.

Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) criticizes the fact that Sputnik-V orders have not yet been prepared.

"I just don't understand why they don't work out a framework agreement for Sputnik V to agree with the suppliers in Russia what quantities we would take once the vaccine is approved," he told WELT.

"The failure of AstraZeneca shows what Achilles heel we have to be able to immunize the population."

He knows enough people who would like to be vaccinated with Sputnik V, says Ramelow.

They shouldn't be prevented from doing so "because a large number of West Germans have reservations".

“This is not about ideologies, Putin, human rights or barrel bombs in Syria.

It's about a Russian science that provides people with an offer after approval. "

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Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) said on Thursday that Europe should not wait until the vaccine is approved regarding negotiations over deliveries of Sputnik V.

"It could be that the process can be accelerated." Michael Müller (SPD), Governing Mayor of Berlin, said: "If we have the chance to fall back on Sputnik, we will of course take it." The Russian authorities already have announced that they could supply cans to 50 million people in the EU from June.

Is Sputnik V also produced in Germany?

Russia is expanding its production capacities.

Agreements have been made for the production of the vaccine in Germany and other European countries, said the head of the state direct investment fund RDIF, Kirill Dmitriev.

In Germany, a subsidiary of the Russian Pharm Group could drive the production of Sputnik V, as the editorial network Germany reported.

State Secretary for Economic Affairs Andreas Feicht (CDU) recently confirmed talks and was "quite open".

“It should be clarified quickly whether we can also produce Sputnik V in Germany,” said Ramelow.

How does Sputnik V work?

Genetically modified harmless adenoviruses serve as the vector.

With the vaccination, the body reacts to the genetic information contained in the corona pathogen.

In this way an immune defense can be built up.

AstraZeneca's vaccine works in a similar way.

However, Sputnik V uses two different vectors, AstraZeneca only one.

According to a study by Russian researchers, the vaccine shows an effectiveness of almost 92 percent.

What are the known side effects of Sputnik V?

Most of the volunteers in the study had only reported flu-like symptoms and arm pain after the vaccination.

A volunteer suffered a stroke.

According to the researchers, four deaths during are not related to the vaccination.

SPD health politician Karl Lauterbach sees a "flaw" in the data on Sputnik V.

As for the effectiveness, these are good, he said on Wednesday in the ARD program "Maischberger".

But he warned: "The side effects that are described are unrealistically small."

Which vaccines could still be approved?

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The Tübingen-based biotech company Curevac expects approval for its corona vaccine at the end of June.

Germany has already secured 54.1 million cans via the EU and an option for 20 million more cans.

The CoronaVac vaccine from the Chinese manufacturer Sinovac achieved a protective effect of only about 50 percent in a study in the last phase 3.

The Sinovac vaccine Vero is said to offer approximately 79 percent protection.

Serbia is the first European country to have already inoculated the substance.

Sanofi is not aiming for approval until the fourth quarter of the year.

The EU Commission had already secured up to 300 million cans from the French manufacturer.