A Retrospective Study on the Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V) COVID-19 Vaccine Short-Term Efficacy and Side Effects in Iranian Healthcare Providers

 The Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V) COVID-19 vaccine is one of the approved vaccines which has been used in Iran.

 In the present retrospective study, we evaluated the short-term efficacy and side effects of the Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 in Iranian healthcare providers.

 Healthcare workers referred to Firoozgar Hospital affiliated with the Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, between March 2021 and December 2021 were assessed. Humoral immunity was evaluated against S-RBD IgG of SARS-CoV2 after Sputnik V vaccination at three phases, including days 60 (phase I), 120 (phase II), and 210 (phase III) by an anti-S RBD IgG ELISA kit. Vaccine recipients were divided into two groups based on the history of SARS-CoV2 infection. The vaccine side effects were obtained from each participant after the first and second doses.

 A total of 65 vaccine recipients (41.5% male (27/65)) with a mean age of 35 ± 8.5 years were enrolled, of whom 41.5% had a history of COVID-19 infection. The SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels were significantly higher in vaccine recipients compared to those without a history of COVID-19 infection a month (4 vs. 6.6), three months (4.5 vs. 7.2), and six months (3.8 vs. 5.9) after vaccination (P = 0.001). Our study had 18 patients (27.7%) with vaccination breakthroughs.

 Sputnik V seems to induce high antibody levels after the second dose; however, protective antibodies declined six months after the second dose. A booster dose is highly recommended for at-risk individuals.