Russia’s Early Release Of Their COVID Vaccine Was Greeted With Concern

The vaccine, ‘Sputnik V,’ has not completed critical clinical trials

 

The claim of victory by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the global race to make an effective COVID-19 vaccine comes amid suggestions that the country has cut essential corners in its COVID vaccine development.

 

Critics state that the country’s push for a Russian COVID vaccine is partly due to the Kremlin’s political pressure that aims to portray Russia as a global scientific power.

 

According to reports, Russia did not release scientific data on its testing of the new COVID vaccine.

Despite this, Russian officials have stated that at least 20 countries and some US companies have already expressed their interest in the newly developed COVID vaccine.

 

President Putin announced the approval of a coronavirus vaccine, claiming it as a “world first,” amid continued concern from critics and questioned safety and effectiveness.

“A vaccine against coronavirus has been registered for the first time in the world this morning,” Putin said on state TV.

“I know that it works quite effectively, it forms a stable immunity.”

“I hope our foreign colleagues’ work will move as well, and a lot of products will appear on an international market that could be used.”

 

The new COVID vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow, has been named Sputnik-V.

The name is a reference to the the world’s first satellite which was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

 

The new coronavirus treatment is yet to go through Phase 3 a critical trial where it would be tested to thousands of people.

Putin also stated that one of his daughters had already taken the COVID vaccine; he also said she had a slightly higher temperature after each dose, but he added that “Now she feels well.”

 

Russia is just one of many countries around the world rushing to produce an effective vaccine for COVID-19, which has now infected more than 20 million people, killing more than 730,000.

 

In June, People’s Republic of China approved the use of an experimental coronavirus vaccine on its armed forces.

The experimental Chinese COVID vaccine, known as Ad5-nCoV, was developed by the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology (part of the Chinese government’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences) and the Chinese vaccine company CanSino Biologics.

 

Just earlier this month, Russia denied allegations of Russian spies hacking into American, Canadian and British research laboratory to steal COVID vaccine development secrets.