June 30, 2021

Nice and Refreshing


Nice and Refreshing
Same great taste, with half the calories. RIA Novosti

Did your COVID vaccine cause you to gain some unwanted weight?  Feeling sluggish after your shot? Not able to hang out with the boys like you used to? Fortunately, Russia's Ministry of Health has you covered.

Introducing "Sputnik Light," a less-potent version of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19. This COVID countermeasure finished testing in late June and is set to hit the civilian market later this summer.

While the name sounds like a patriotic Soviet lager– I'd go for an ice-cold Sputnik Light at a backyard barbecue – all jokes aside, Sputnik Light is intended for use among individuals with autoimmune diseases, compromised immune systems, and those needing re-vaccination. 2.5 million doses are ready to be used, with more on the way. 

This background, however, does little to clarify why it was dubbed "Light," spelled phonetically in Cyrillic (so it would sound something like "lah-eet"). Our only guess is that the temptation for Corona-related wordplay was simply too great.

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