JOIN USRussia to register world's first Covid-19 vaccine on August 12
Russia is set to register the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine on August 12, which is being made by Russia’s Gameleya Research Center, Russia’s deputy health minister, Oleg Gridnev told Russia Today. Russia will be the first country to approve a vaccine for the deadly infection which has killed over 7 lakh people worldwide.
Gridnev added that the elderly and medical workers will be prioritised in the country's immunisation drive that is scheduled to begin in October.
The vaccine’s clinical trials began at Sechenov University, Moscow on June 18. 38 volunteers were part of the study and the vaccine was effective as those who took part developed immunity to the novel coronavirus, said the report.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund and Gameleya Research Center are working on the launch of the first adenovirus-based vaccine in Russia. The vaccine proteins replicate those of Covid-19 which would trigger an immune response in the recipient, Vadim Tarasov, a top scientist at Sechenov University told the publication. The viral vector vaccine fuses with SARS CoV-2’s spike protein to stimulate an immune response in humans.
However, the experimental Covid-19 shots that began first-in-human testing less than two months ago have no published scientific evidence yet backing Russia's entry to the global vaccine race.
Tarasov added that Russia’s speed in developing a Covid-19 vaccine has raised eyebrows in the West and that the country has developed skills in the field for the last 20 years and learning how viruses transmit.
This comes on the heels of the World Health Organisation (WHO) warning Russia that established guidelines need to be followed to ensure that safe and effective vaccines are produced. Others have also raised similar concerns.
“I'm worried that Russia is cutting corners so that the vaccine that will come out may be not just ineffective, but also unsafe,” said Lawrence Gostin, a global public health law expert at Georgetown University. “It doesn't work that way... Trials come first. That's really important.”
That final-stage study, or Phase 3, usually involving tens of thousands of people, is the only way to prove if an experimental vaccine is safe and really works.
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said members of “risk groups,” such as medical workers, may be offered the vaccine this month.
He didn't clarify whether they would be part of the Phase 3 study that is said to be completed after the vaccine receives “conditional approval.”
Delivering a vaccine first is a matter of national prestige for the Kremlin as it tries to assert the image of Russia as a global power capable of competing with the US and China.
In April, President Vladimir Putin ordered state officials to shorten the time of clinical trials for a variety of drugs, including potential coronavirus vaccines.
Russia now has the fourth-highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world with 892,654 positive cases reported and 15,001 deaths. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who survived Covid-19 said that Russia is winning the battle against the pandemic. Large-scale testing has been one of the most effective measures to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus.
(With agency inputs)
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