Argentina’s president tests positive for Covid despite getting the Russian Sputnik V jab in January 

Argentina’s president reveals he has tested positive for Covid – despite getting the Russian Sputnik V jab in January

  • Alberto Fernández’s diagnosis was confirmed with a PCR test over the weekend
  • He has had both doses of the Sputnik V vaccine, one in January and February
  • Sputnik developer Russia’s Gamaleya Institute has insisted the jab is effective 

The President of Argentina has tested positive for Covid-19, despite having the Russian-made vaccine Sputnik V in January. 

Alberto Fernández, 62, had the jab publicly in a Buenos Aires hospital on January 21 but came down with a fever and slight headache on Friday, prompting him to get tested.

His diagnosis was confirmed with an antigen test, followed by a PCR test, over the weekend. 

Argentinian President Alberto Fernández, 62, has tested positive for Covid-19, despite having the Russian-made vaccine Sputnik V in January

Fernández said: ‘I’m already isolated, complying with the current protocol and following the instructions of my personal doctor.

‘I have contacted the people I met in the last 48 hours to assess whether they constitute close contact.’

The President’s medical team said he was ‘stable, asymptomatic, with parameters within normal ranges’. 

Fernández has received both doses of the Sputnik vaccine, one in January and the second in February. 

Fernández had the Sputnik V jab publicly in a Buenos Aires hospital on January 21 in the hopes of boosting public confidence in the vaccine

Fernández had the Sputnik V jab publicly in a Buenos Aires hospital on January 21 in the hopes of boosting public confidence in the vaccine

Russia's Gamaleya Institute, which developed the Sputnik V vaccine, said their jab was 91.6 per cent effective against infection and 100 per cent effective against severe cases

Russia’s Gamaleya Institute, which developed the Sputnik V vaccine, said their jab was 91.6 per cent effective against infection and 100 per cent effective against severe cases

In reaction to the news, Russia’s Gamaleya Institute, which developed the Sputnik V vaccine, re-iterated the high effectiveness of the jab, citing research data published in the medical journal The Lancet in February. 

Sputnik V’s official Twitter account said: ‘We are sad to hear this. Sputnik V is 91.6 per cent effective against infection and 100 per cent effective against severe cases. 

‘If the infection is indeed confirmed and occurs, the vaccination ensures quick recovery without severe symptoms. We wish you a quick recovery!’  

Fernández's  diagnosis was confirmed with an antigen test, followed by a PCR test, over the weekend

Fernández’s  diagnosis was confirmed with an antigen test, followed by a PCR test, over the weekend

It remains unclear how effective Covid-19 vaccines are at stopping the person from catching the virus. 

It is still possible to catch and test positive for Covid-19 after having the jab, however, the vaccine vastly reduces the likelihood of severe symptoms to the virus. 

Argentina was the first country in South America to rollout the Sputnik V vaccine in December and has ordered nearly 25 million doses.   

But the rollout has been marred in controversy after nearly 70 people received the vaccine early. 

The then-health minster Ginés González García resigned over the debacle, but Fernández defended his early receipt vaccine, saying it was necessary. 

He told reporters: ‘The media in Argentina put Alberto Fernández among the people who received the vaccine inappropriately, but I had to get the vaccine because the Argentine media said that the Russian vaccine could not be trusted. I had to call on the trust of the citizens’.

Over 1.5 per cent of Argentina’s population have now received two doses of the vaccine, but the country remains in a partial lockdown to stem the spread of the virus.

Last week the government suspended flights from Brazil, Chile, and Mexico after seeing rising case numbers in those countries. 

Flights from the UK have also been suspended.  

To date, Argentina has had over 2,383,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 56,106 deaths.    

He has already gone into isolation and contacted anyone who he was in close contact with in the last 48 hours

He has already gone into isolation and contacted anyone who he was in close contact with in the last 48 hours