Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has 92% efficacy in trial

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Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine gives around 92% protection against Covid-19, late stage trial results published in The Lancet reveal.

It has also been deemed to be safe - and offered complete protection against hospitalisation and death.

The vaccine was initially met with some controversy after being rolled out before the final trial data had been released.

But scientists said its benefit has now been demonstrated.

It joins the ranks of proven vaccines alongside Pfizer, Oxford/AstraZeneca, Moderna and Janssen.

The Sputnik vaccine works in a similar way to the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab developed in the UK, and the Janssen vaccine developed in Belgium.

It uses a cold-type virus, engineered to be harmless, as a carrier to deliver a small fragment of the coronavirus to the body.

Safely exposing the body to part of the virus's genetic code in this way is enough to allow it to recognise the threat and learn to fight it off.

After being vaccinated, the body starts to produce antibodies specially tailored to the coronavirus.

This means the immune system is primed to fight coronavirus when if it encounters it for real.

There were no serious reactions linked to the vaccine during the trial

Some side effects to a vaccine are expected but these are usually mild, including a sore arm, tiredness and a bit of a temperature.

And there were no deaths or serious illness in the vaccinated group linked to the jab.