Russia Becomes First Country To Approve Covid-19 Vaccine

By Getrude Matayo

President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday 11^th August 2020 that Russia has developed the first Covid-19 vaccine offering sustainable immunity against the virus.

Russia’s health ministry has given regulatory approval for the world first Covid-19 vaccine, developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya institute, after less than two months of human testing

The development paves the way for the mass inoculation of the Russian population, even as the final stage of clinical trials to test safety and efficacy continues.

“This morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was registered in Russia”, President Putin said during a televised video conference call with government ministers.

The speed at which Russia is moving to roll out its vaccine highlights its determination to win the global race for an effective product but has stirred concerns that it may be putting national prestige before sound science and safety

Russia has been pushing hard to quickly develop the COVID-19 vaccine and said earlier this month it hoped to launch mass production within weeks and turn out several million doses per month by next year.

“I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks,” said Putin.

He added that he hoped the country would soon start mass-producing the vaccine

Its approval by the health ministry foreshadows the start of a larger trial involving thousands of participants, commonly known as a Phase III trial.

Such trials, which require a certain rate of participants catching the virus to observe the vaccine’s effect, are normally considered essential precursors for a vaccine to receive regulatory approval.

The World Health Organization last week urged Russia to follow established guidelines and go through all stages necessary to develop a safe vaccine.

Regulators around the world have insisted that the rush to develop COVID-19 vaccines will not compromise safety. But recent surveys show growing public distrust in governments’ efforts to rapidly-produce such a vaccine

The pandemic has seen an unprecedented mobilization of funding and research to rush through a vaccine that can protect billions of people worldwide.