According to a YouGov survey conducted between February 18 and March 3, 2021, Sputnik V is among the most preferred vaccines alongside with the one produced by Pfizer/BioNTech.

According to the survey, 54 per cent of respondents who selected a country they trust to produce a vaccine, considered Russia the most trusted vaccine producer alongside the US and leaving the UK behind, when asked to choose the three countries they trusted the most to produce a vaccine.

Dr Gajendra Singh, Public Health Expert said, “The efficacy depends on the foundation on which a vaccine is built. While Sputnik V uses human adenovirus platform, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines/others are made using messenger RNA, or mRNA, a technology that delivers a bit of genetic code to cells — in effect, a recipe to make the surface protein (known as spike) on the SARS-2 virus. Moreover, vaccines such as Covishield and Sputnik V are fit for Indian terrain since they can be stored at +2º+8ºC in contrast with mRNA vaccines with much more extreme temperature regimen of -70º-20ºC.”

According to the survey, almost half (47 per cent) of the respondents who have made their choice only consider a minimum vaccine efficacy level of 90 per cent or more acceptable for their vaccination.

An overwhelming number of respondents (84 per cent) would be willing to postpone their vaccination with a less effective vaccine of around 60 per cent, for a vaccine with a higher efficacy of over 90 per cent.

Dr AM Deshmukh, President, Microbiologist Society, India said, “On the storage capabilities of the country, unlike others, Sputnik V has been tested on Indian population during the clinical trials. On the cost front, the price of Sputnik V is less than $10 per shot, making it affordable around the world.”