Gam-COVID-Vac facts for kids

Gam-COVID-Vac, also known as Sputnik V, is a special medicine called a COVID-19 vaccine. It was made to help protect people from COVID-19, a sickness caused by a virus.

This vaccine was developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, a science center in Russia. It was officially approved in Russia on August 11, 2020, by the Russian Ministry of Health. After being approved, Sputnik V could be used to help people in Russia stay healthy.

What is Sputnik V?

Sputnik V is a type of vaccine that uses a harmless virus to teach your body how to fight off the COVID-19 virus. Think of it like a training exercise for your immune system.

How it Works

The vaccine uses a common cold virus, called an adenovirus, that has been changed so it cannot make you sick. This adenovirus carries a small piece of the COVID-19 virus's genetic code. When you get the vaccine, your body sees this piece and learns to make special defenders called antibodies. These antibodies then know how to fight the real COVID-19 virus if you ever come across it.

Who Made It?

The Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology is a famous research center in Russia. Scientists there worked hard to create Sputnik V. They have a lot of experience making vaccines and other medicines.

When Was It Approved?

Sputnik V was one of the first COVID-19 vaccines to be approved anywhere in the world. The Russian Ministry of Health gave it official approval on August 11, 2020. This meant it could start being used to vaccinate people in Russia.

Images for kids

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  Pharmaceutical company União Quimica started production of Sputnik V in Brazil in January 2021

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  Package and Vial for the first dose

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  President Putin's meeting with government members, on 11 August 2020 via videoconference, at which he announced a conditionally registered vaccine against COVID-19.

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  Medical worker in Moscow with the vaccine

See also

In Spanish: Sputnik V para niños