Brazil said no to the Russian Sputnik Covid vaccine “for several reasons”, including one: “It contains replicating adenovirus”. This was reported by the Brazilian national health surveillance agency Anvisa. “The agency said that every single vaccine batch from the Gamaleya Institute based on the Ad5 viral vector on which they have data appears to still contain replication competent adenovirus.” The news is reported on the scientific blog ‘In the pipeline’, hosted on the ‘Science’ website and edited by Derek Lowe, pharmaceutical chemist and columnist. The expert reports what emerged from a hearing held yesterday by the Brazilian authorities to assess whether the vaccine would be approved for use in the country.
The data that emerged regarding adenovirus capable of replication, observes Lowe in his analysis, “will probably not cause major problems for the vaccinated population, but it is a completely unnecessary risk. And if such a vaccine is going to tens of millions of people (or plus), it seems certain that there will be some damaged by this avoidable problem.
Adenoviral vector-based vaccines are made by removing most of the adenovirus DNA instructions and instead inserting the DNA to create coronavirus antigens. the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine has a chimpanzee adenovirus, J&J used the Ad26 strain, CanSino has the Ad5 adenovirus, and the Gamaleya vaccine consists of a first dose based on Ad26, followed by a booster with Ad5. “To all – adds the author of the blog – key parts of their original genome have been removed to make them unable to replicate in the organism”.
What emerged from the Brazilian body’s analysis “puts the entire production and quality control process into question”, concludes the expert. “If you’re going to make a replication competent vaccine, clinical trials have to be done with it.” “I can understand why Brazilian regulators are concerned.”
Russia: “Political decision
The decision of the Brazilian national health surveillance agency Anvisa to postpone the approval of the Russian anti-Covid vaccine Sputnik V ” is, unfortunately, a decision of a political nature ” and ” has nothing to do with access agency to scientific information ”. This was stated by the Russian vaccine manufacturing agency, stressing that the move ” contradicts a previous decision by the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation which had recognized Sputnik V as a safe vaccine and had allowed its production in Brazil ”.