Russia has 'first' Covid-19 vaccine
CORONAVIRUS - Did Russia win the race for the coronavirus vaccine? Putin is saying this loud and clear. The country has developed the "first" vaccine against Covid-19, the Russian president said on Tuesday 11 August during a video conference, assuring that it gave "lasting immunity".
In the weeks preceding the announcement, foreign scientists had expressed concern about the speed of development of such a vaccine and therefore the World Health Organization (WHO) had involved "clear guidelines and directives" for the event of such products.
"This morning, for the primary time within the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was registered," Putin said, adding: "I know that it's quite effective, that it gives long-lasting immunity.
The president even claimed that one among his daughters had been inoculated with the vaccine, which was developed by the Nikolai Gamalaya Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology, along side the Russian Ministry of Defence. "She took part within the experiment," he said, consistent with Russian agencies saying she had a touch temperature after the 2 inoculations, "and that's it".
The health ministry said the double inoculation "helped to make an extended immunity", estimating that it could last "two years".
"The most vital thing in fact is that we will ensure unconditional safety within the future with reference to the utilization of this vaccine and its effectiveness," Putin said, "I hope that this may be the case".
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko also indicated that "clinical trials on several thousand people will continue".
The vaccine was named "Sputnik V" (V for vaccine, editor's note), in regard to the Soviet satellite, the primary spacecraft put into orbit, said Kirill Dmitriev, the chairman of the sovereign wealth fund involved in its development.
The Deputy Prime Minister responsible of health issues, Tatiana Golikova, said she hoped to start out vaccinating medical personnel within the coming weeks. "We really hope that in September, or maybe late August-early September, the vaccine are going to be produced and therefore the first category to be vaccinated are going to be medical personnel," she said, consistent with Russian agencies. Teachers should even be among the primary to be vaccinated.
The vaccine will enter circulation on 1 January 2021, consistent with the Ministry of Health's national drug register, which was consulted by Russian news agencies.
"One billion doses" pre-ordered by 20 countries"More than a billion doses" are pre-ordered by 20 foreign countries, Kirill Dmitriev said, adding that phase 3 trials began on Wednesday.
The vaccine is virus-vector-based, meaning it uses as a carrier another virus that has been transformed and adapted to fight Covid-19. It uses the adenovirus, a technology also chosen by Oxford University .
The WHO reacted cautiously to the Russian announcement, remarking that the "pre-qualification" and licensing of a vaccine went through "rigorous" procedures.
"We are in close contact with the Russians and discussions are continuing. We are in close contact with the Russians and discussions are continuing. The pre-qualification of any vaccine goes through rigorous procedures," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic acknowledged during a video news conference . "Pre-qualification includes the review and evaluation of all the specified safety and efficacy data from clinical trials," he said, stressing that the method would be an equivalent for any vaccine candidate.
In recent weeks, Russia had ensured the upcoming production of thousands of doses of vaccine against the new coronavirus, and "several million" by the start of next year.
Russia, like many other countries round the world, has been working for months on several vaccine projects against Covid-19. So far, it's not published an in depth study of the results of its trials to determine the efficacy of the products it says it's developed.
In the weeks preceding the announcement, foreign scientists had expressed concern about the speed of development of such a vaccine and therefore the World Health Organization (WHO) had involved "clear guidelines and directives" for the event of such products.
"This morning, for the primary time within the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was registered," Putin said, adding: "I know that it's quite effective, that it gives long-lasting immunity.
The president even claimed that one among his daughters had been inoculated with the vaccine, which was developed by the Nikolai Gamalaya Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology, along side the Russian Ministry of Defence. "She took part within the experiment," he said, consistent with Russian agencies saying she had a touch temperature after the 2 inoculations, "and that's it".
The health ministry said the double inoculation "helped to make an extended immunity", estimating that it could last "two years".
"The most vital thing in fact is that we will ensure unconditional safety within the future with reference to the utilization of this vaccine and its effectiveness," Putin said, "I hope that this may be the case".
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko also indicated that "clinical trials on several thousand people will continue".
The vaccine was named "Sputnik V" (V for vaccine, editor's note), in regard to the Soviet satellite, the primary spacecraft put into orbit, said Kirill Dmitriev, the chairman of the sovereign wealth fund involved in its development.
The Deputy Prime Minister responsible of health issues, Tatiana Golikova, said she hoped to start out vaccinating medical personnel within the coming weeks. "We really hope that in September, or maybe late August-early September, the vaccine are going to be produced and therefore the first category to be vaccinated are going to be medical personnel," she said, consistent with Russian agencies. Teachers should even be among the primary to be vaccinated.
The vaccine will enter circulation on 1 January 2021, consistent with the Ministry of Health's national drug register, which was consulted by Russian news agencies.
"One billion doses" pre-ordered by 20 countries"More than a billion doses" are pre-ordered by 20 foreign countries, Kirill Dmitriev said, adding that phase 3 trials began on Wednesday.
The vaccine is virus-vector-based, meaning it uses as a carrier another virus that has been transformed and adapted to fight Covid-19. It uses the adenovirus, a technology also chosen by Oxford University .
The WHO reacted cautiously to the Russian announcement, remarking that the "pre-qualification" and licensing of a vaccine went through "rigorous" procedures.
"We are in close contact with the Russians and discussions are continuing. We are in close contact with the Russians and discussions are continuing. The pre-qualification of any vaccine goes through rigorous procedures," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic acknowledged during a video news conference . "Pre-qualification includes the review and evaluation of all the specified safety and efficacy data from clinical trials," he said, stressing that the method would be an equivalent for any vaccine candidate.
In recent weeks, Russia had ensured the upcoming production of thousands of doses of vaccine against the new coronavirus, and "several million" by the start of next year.
Russia, like many other countries round the world, has been working for months on several vaccine projects against Covid-19. So far, it's not published an in depth study of the results of its trials to determine the efficacy of the products it says it's developed.
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