Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that the country has become the first in the world to grant regulatory approval for a COVID-19 vaccine, according to multiple reports.
The Russian leader claimed that the vaccine underwent clinical testing and has proven to offer immunity from the coronavirus. However, the approval was granted by Russian health officials after just two months of human testing, Reuters noted.
Putin said at a government meeting broadcast on state television that the vaccine, which was developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, is safe and has been administered to one of his adult daughters.
“I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks,” Putin said, according to Reuters.
Putin said his daughter had a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius — 104.4 degrees Fahrenheit — on the day of the first vaccine injection. He claimed her fever dropped to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit the following day, and that the second shot brought a slight increase in temperature, which later went away, The Associated Press reported.
Russia’s health ministry said Tuesday that the vaccine is expected to provide coronavirus immunity for up to two years, according to the AP. Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said the inoculations could be available for doctors as soon as next month.
However, so-called phase three trials on the vaccine have not yet been completed. Those typically take months and involve thousands of human participants, Reuters reported. Putin’s announcement Tuesday sparked international skepticism, as the trials usually occur before a vaccine is granted regulatory approval by health officials.
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Putin claims Russia has developed first coronavirus vaccine https://t.co/5kzwx0JiAS pic.twitter.com/FVcUpLBEg7
— The Hill (@thehill) August 11, 2020
Okay, @smod4real – You're way overdue and the Russians are trying to steal your act https://t.co/dhPSZMeOSN
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) August 11, 2020
What concerns me about all this rushing to produce a vaccine is that the final products might do more harm than good. Remember the swine flu vaccine? Would not want to take any vaccine that is rushed to market without being thoroughly tested.
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