Russia announced on Tuesday that it has registered a coronavirus vaccine and declared that the shot is ready for use. President Vladimir Putin also said that one of his daughters has already been administered the vaccine.
The president emphasized the fact that the vaccine underwent the necessary tests and that its efficacy has been proved. The vaccine offers lasting immunity against the deadly novel virus, he said. However, experts around the world have raised their concerns regarding the rush to begin using the vaccine ahead of the Phase 3 trials, which normally take place for months and involve thousands of people.
Russian President's Daughter Part of COVID-19 Vaccine Experiment
While addressing a government meeting Putin said the vaccine was properly tested. "I would like to repeat that it has passed all the necessary tests. The most important thing is to ensure full safety of using the vaccine and its efficiency," Putin said, according to the Washington Post.
The president also said that his daughter was feeling well after taking two shots of the vaccine and was a part of the experiment. Putin mentioned that his daughter had a temperature of 38 degrees Celcius on the day of the first vaccine injection and fell to over 37 degrees on the next day. After getting the second shot she witnessed a slight increase in temperature but then it was all over. "She's feeling well and has a high number of antibodies," Putin mentioned.
Russia Sets Priorities
The Russian officials had earlier mentioned that the large-scale production of the vaccine will begin in September and the mass vaccination program will get underway in October. The priorities of the authorities are the teachers, medical workers, and people belonging to the other risk groups.
Russia has been at the forefront of the vaccine race for a long time. They had declared long back about being on the verge of making an effective vaccine. Now, time will tell how the vaccine works as most of the experts around the world are pretty much tensed about the safety of Russia's vaccine.
The deadly virus outbreak has created a major stir around the world in recent times infecting more than 20 million people globally and claiming the lives of over 736,000 people worldwide in more than 170 nations.
