Moscow: President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday announced that Russia has developed the world’s first vaccine against COVID-19 that works “quite effectively” and forms a “stable immunity” against the deadly disease as he disclosed that one of his daughters has already been vaccinated.
“A vaccine against coronavirus has been registered for the first time in the world this morning,” Putin said during a meeting with members of his government.
“I know that it works quite effectively, it forms a stable immunity,” the official Tass news agency quoted Putin as saying.
Putin’s claim has come amidst concerns raised by experts about the speed of Russia’s work, suggesting that researchers might be cutting corners.
Reacting to Putin’s announcement, US health secretary Alex Azar said the goal of developing a coronavirus vaccine is not to be first, but to have one that is safe and effective.
“The point is not to be first with a vaccine — the point is to have a vaccine that is safe and effective for the American people and the people of the world,” Azar told ABC News.
Amid fears that safety could have been compromised, the World Health Organization urged Russia last week to follow international guidelines for producing a vaccine against COVID-19.
The Russian vaccine is not among the WHO’s list of six vaccines that have reached phase three clinical trials, which involve more widespread testing in humans, the report noted.
But Putin said that one of his daughters had tested a Russian COVID-19 vaccine on herself and that she is feeling well. “I know this very well, because one of my daughters got vaccinated, so in this sense, she took part in testing,” Putin said.
He did not specify which of his two daughters had received the vaccine. The vaccine has been named Sputnik-V. The name is a reference to the 1957 launch of the world’s first satellite by the Soviet Union.
The treatment is yet to go through crucial Phase 3 trials where it would be administered to thousands of people.
President Putin noted that after the first vaccine shot, his daughter had a 38°C fever, and on the next day, a fever slightly higher than 37°C.
“And then, after the second shot, she had a slight fever again, and then everything was fine, she is feeling well and has a high [antibody] count,” Putin said.
Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said that clinical trials of the vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry were over. Medical workers and teachers will be the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine, he said.
“We will begin the stage-by-stage civilian use of the vaccine. First and foremost, we would like to offer vaccination to those who come into contact with infected persons at work. These are medical workers. And also those who are responsible for children’s health — teachers,” the minister said.
The vaccine has two separately-injected components that together are expected to build a long-term immunity against the virus, the Sputniknews reported.
Clinical trials of the vaccine kicked off on June 18 and included 38 volunteers. All of the participants developed immunity.
The first group was discharged on July 15, the second group on July 20.
It will appear in circulation starting on January 1, 2021, the website of the State Register of Pharmaceuticals reported on Tuesday. (PTI)
