What’s Russia’s Sputnik V?

Sputnik V is Russia’s coronavirus vaccine. On Dec. 5, 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced hope for quick approval of the jab by the World Health Organization, saying the move is essential to expand its global supplies. A study published in the British medical journal The Lancet in Feb. 2021 showed that Sputnik V is 91% effective. Russia was the first country in the world to authorize a coronavirus vaccine, launching Sputnik V in Aug. 2020, but still has Europe’s highest confirmed pandemic death toll.