Sputnik V maker: Vaccine could be adapted to fight omicron

MOSCOW (AP) — The developer of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine says it will work on adapting it to the new omicron COVID-19 variant. The Gamaleya Institute and the Russian Direct Investment Fund that has bankrolled Sputnik V and its one-shot Sputnik Light version said in a statement Monday that the existing vaccine should be efficient against the new variant. They said if the modification is needed, a new version of Sputnik V could be ready for mass production in 45 days. The statement said that several hundred million Sputnik omicron boosters could be provided to international markets by Feb 20, 2022, with over 3 billion doses available in 2022. The statement made no mention of previous production delays in getting Sputnik V vaccines to international customers.