On August 11, 2020, Russia declared itself the first country to develop a vaccine against the novel coronavirus. Named “Sputnik V” after the Soviet satellite, the vaccine was developed by Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian defence ministry. Russia registered the vaccine after less than two months of human testing and declared it ready for use, despite international scepticism.
Based on a Chinese prototype, Sputnik V is a vector vaccine, which employs another virus to carry the immune response into human cells. Clinical human studies started June 17 among 76 volunteers. Half were injected with a vaccine in liquid form and the other half with a vaccine in the form of a soluble powder.
According to the Russia health ministry, the COVID-19 vaccine offers lasting immunity from the virus, even for up to two years.
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President Vladimir Putin said that one of his daughters had already been inoculated, claiming that the vaccine had proven efficient and had passed all the necessary tests.
The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which finances the vaccine project, said Phase 3 trials would start soon, adding that preliminary applications for over one billion doses of the vaccine had been received from 20 countries. He said that along with foreign partners, Russia was ready to manufacture 500 million doses of vaccine per year in five countries. As per officials, large-scale production of the vaccine will start in September, and mass vaccination may begin as early as October. The vaccination will be voluntary; medical workers, teachers, and other risk groups would be inoculated first.
Experts’ Views
As per the eminent experts in the field, larger, phase 3 trials were needed for the vaccine and there was a big difference between a large vaccine trial (with careful and frequent follow-up of all vaccinated individuals) and deployment of a vaccine to the general public.
World Health Organization Comments
The World Health Organisation and Russian health authorities are discussing the process for possible WHO prequalification for COVID-19 vaccine, which involves the rigorous review and assessment of all required safety and efficacy data.
COVID-19: DRUGS AND TREATMENTS