KEY HIGHLIGHTS –
- Russia becomes the first in the world to register a vaccine against the novel coronavirus
- The vaccine, has been developed by the Gamaleya Microbiology Research Centre
- President Vladimir Putin says that one of his daughters had been vaccinated against COVID-19
Russia wins the race to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched world’s first coronavirus vaccine.
Russia dubbed its newly launched vaccine against coronavirus “Sputnik V” after the Soviet satellite, the head of the country’s sovereign wealth fund said, as per reports.
The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev, which finances the vaccine project, said Phase 3 trials would start on Wednesday, industrial production was expected from September and that 20 countries had pre-ordered more than a billion doses, AFP reported.
“This morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was registered” in Russia, Putin said during a televised video conference call with government ministers.
Putin also thanked who worked on the vaccine’s development and said “a very important step for the world”. He hopes the country’s research body will soon start mass production of coronavirus vaccine.
“I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks,” said Putin.
Putin said that his daughter had a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit) on the day of the first vaccine injection, and then it dropped to just over 37 degrees (98.6 Fahrenheit) on the following day. After the second shot she again had a slight increase in temperature, but then it was all over.
“She’s feeling well and has high number of antibodies,” Putin added.
“The two-stage injection plan helps form a lasting immunity. The experience with vector vaccines and two-stage scheme shows that immunity lasts for up to two years”, the Health Ministry said, as reported by Sputnik News.
“We are in close contact with Russian health authorities and discussions are ongoing with respect to possible WHO prequalification of the vaccine, but again prequalification of any vaccine includes the rigorous review and assessment of all required safety and efficacy data,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told a U.N. briefing in Geneva, referring to clinical trials, according to Reuters.
Presently, WHO and Russian health authorities are considering the process for possible WHO prequalification for its newly approved COVID-19 vaccine, a WHO spokesman said today.
