‘Sputnik V’ – Russia Registers The First Coronavirus Vaccine Of The World, Putin Says It Was Administered To His Daughter

Image Credit – Economic Times

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the country had granted regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine and became the first ever country to do so. The move was hailed by Moscow due to a lack of evidence of its scientific impact as it has been granted after almost two months of human testing.

The final trial hasn’t yet been conducted and the speed, at which the vaccine has been approved, has raised concerns among the experts. But, Sistema, the Russian business conglomerate has said that they are expecting its mass production by the end of 2020.

According to a source of Reuters, those Russian health workers who are treating COVID-19 patients, will be offered to volunteer and get vaccinated in the coming few weeks.

This regulatory approval will certainly help Russia in immunizing its population and the authorities are hopeful that the fallen economy will again attain its status, once the virus gets eliminated with the vaccine.

The head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev has compared the vaccine development to the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 and termed it as a historic ‘Sputnik moment’.

He also said that the vaccine would be sold at the foreign markets under the name ‘Sputnik V’. The state media have broadcasted this news.

But the speed, at which Russia has obtained the approval for the vaccine, without it going through the final clinical trials, has certainly worried some experts and scientists. The scientists are in fear that Russia with this approval Russia might be considering national prestige more important compared to the safety of people.

While speaking at a government meeting, Russian President Putin dismissed such concerns over the vaccine and said that the vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Institute, Moscow, was safe as it had been tested on one of his daughters.

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

He is also hoping to start mass production of the vaccine very soon.

According to WHO, over 100 possible vaccines are being developed across the entire globe to eliminate the Coronavirus, out of which, 4 are going through final Phase III human trials.

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