Russia is planning to register the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine this week. The country plans to start mass vaccination in October.
Russia’s deputy health minister Oleg Gridnev recently disclosed plans to register its first Covid-19 vaccine (which has been jointly made by the Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian defence ministry), on August 12.
However, the WHO has raised safety concerns on the vaccine. According to WHO, the Russian Vaccine is not one of the six vaccines that have reached a significant phase 3 trial.
The Russian defence ministry earlier stated that in the final medical examination of volunteers who participated in the clinical trials of the vaccine, it was found that all volunteers had a clear immune response against the virus, generated from the vaccine. It also said that there were no side effects or abnormalities observed in the volunteers.
The Russian defence ministry commented, “Thus, the available data of laboratory and instrumental studies allow us to speak about the safety and good tolerance of the vaccine”.