Medics to Get Russia’s Coronavirus Vaccine in Two Weeks

MOSCOW, KOMPAS.com – The first batch of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine is expected to be injected in some of the country’s medics despite safety concerns from international health experts.

The Russian government has rejected the “groundless” claims of its vaccine’s safety over Moscow’s rapid approval of the drug.

On Tuesday, Russia’s coronavirus vaccine was the first in the world to be registered and granted regulatory approval as a Covid-19 vaccine though the vaccine has undergone less than two months of human testing.

Read also: It’s Official! Russia’s Coronavirus Vaccine Registered and Ready for Use

The vaccine has not yet completed its final trials. Only about 10 percent of clinical trials are successful and some scientists fear Moscow may be putting national prestige before safety.

"It seems our foreign colleagues are sensing the specific competitive advantages of the Russian drug and are trying to express opinions that in our opinion are completely groundless," Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Wednesday.

He said the vaccine developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute would be administered to people, including doctors, on a voluntary basis, and would be ready soon.

Read also: China's Covid-19 Vaccine Brought to Indonesia for Phase 3 Clinical Trials

"The first packages of the medical vaccine against the coronavirus infection will be received within the next two weeks, primarily for doctors," he said.

Alexander Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya Institute, said clinical trials would be published once they have been assessed by Russia's own experts.

He said Russia plans to be able to produce 5 million doses a month by December-January.

Kazakhstan plans to send government officials to Moscow later this month to discuss possible deliveries of the vaccine, its presidential office said.

(Writer: Tom Balmforth | Editor: Philippa Fletcher)

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-vaccine-min/russia-says-medics-to-get-anti-covid-shots-in-two-weeks-rejects-safety-concerns-idUSKCN2580UB