Russia became the first country in the world to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing, a move hailed by Moscow as evidence of its scientific prowess. The vaccine Sputnik V, still has to complete final trials, raising concerns among some experts at the speed of its approval, but the Russian business conglomerate Sistema has said it expects to put it into mass production by the end of the year. What is Sputnik V and is it reliable?
The company behind Sputnik VGamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology also known as either as Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute is a Russian research vaccine institute, headquartered in Moscow.Russia's coronavirus vaccine is developed jointly by Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian Defence Ministry, both.
Directions for use
After announcing the first Covid-19 vaccine, Russia has now started manufacturing the vaccine, according to a report.
As per Reuters, the vaccine is expected to roll out by the end of this month. President Vladimir Putin's reaction to vaccine "I know that it works quite effectively, it forms a stable immunity," said Putin as the vaccine was granted approval. He also emphasised that the vaccine went through all the necessary tests and that one of his two daughters had received a shot of the vaccine and was doing well.
Russia's top respiratory doctor quits
Russia's top respiratory doctor has quit the Russian health ministry over 'gross violations' of medical ethics regarding 'Sputnik-V'. Professor Alexander Chuchalin resigned from the health ministry's ethics council after trying to block the registration of what Russia claims to be 'world's first coronavirus vaccine' on 'safety grounds', the Daily Mail reported. He explicitly named and accused two leading medics, involved in the vaccine's development, of defying medical ethics in rushing the inoculation into production.
What experts say
Russia plans to start administering the vaccine as early as October without crucial tests, something that worries experts worldwide.They feel it may also put pressure on other governments to skip steps and release vaccines putting public health at risk.
AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria's reaction
AIIMS Delhi Director Dr Guleria has also expressed concern about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, adding there should be no side effects.
Countries vying for this vaccine
There is strong global interest in Russia's vaccine and 20 countries have expressed interest in acquiring it, including India. Russia Development Investment Fund finances the production of the vaccine and is planning to conduct Phase 3 clinical trials in different countries