Russia Registers World's First Covid-19 Vaccine Despite Safety Concerns
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
MOSCOW—Russia registered the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine, President Vladimir Putin said, marking a milestone in the fight against the novel coronavirus but amid safety concerns in the West over the country’s accelerated clinical evaluations.
The development was met with anticipation and skepticism in the country. Some health and pharmaceutical officials in Russia and the West have expressed alarm at the speed with which scientists at Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute for Epidemiology and Microbiology developed the vaccine.
Scientists employed military testing, accelerated clinical evaluations and shortened trial times in an attempt to be first with a vaccine. Russia hopes to use it in a massive immunization program at home and to export it abroad under the name Sputnik V—a reference to the satellite it launched into orbit in the Cold War space race, beating the U.S.
“We should be grateful to those who have taken this first step, which is very important for our country and the whole world,” Mr. Putin told a government meeting, a Kremlin transcript showed.
“I hope we can start a massive release of this vaccine soon,” he said, adding that one of his daughters had already received it.
Critics worry that the Kremlin is sacrificing the health of its citizens for prestige. They have compared the race for a vaccine with that of the doping scandal during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where Russian authorities were accused of helping to cover up drug violations by the country’s athletes.
Mr. Putin said earlier this year that he wanted a shot produced by September, adding political pressure to the search for a vaccine. Russia has recorded some 900,000 coronavirus cases, straining its health-care system, and lockdown measures have cut its economy by 10% in the second quarter.
So far, two rounds of testing have been launched for the vaccine, and a third is planned after registration, when authorities will offer voluntary vaccination of health-care workers and teachers. The health minister said previously that a rollout of the vaccine would start in October.
Gamaleya Institute, which worked jointly with the Defense Ministry, has said the expedited testing was safe because the vaccine was being developed on the basis of a previously registered inoculation against Ebola.
Earlier this year, the U.S., U.K. and Canada accused Russia of hacking into international institutions to steal Covid-19 vaccine information . Russia denied the accusations.
Russia’s Association of Clinical Trials Organizations, a non-governmental organization that links to pharmaceutical companies, has asked the health minister in an open letter to delay registration of the vaccine until all clinical trials have been completed.
“It hasn’t even completed testing with participation of even 100 people,” the letter said on the organization’s website, emphasizing the need for a third phase. “It’s exactly in the course of that phase when proof of the effectiveness can be ascertained as well as information about undesirable reactions, which the vaccine can cause in various patient groups,” the organization said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S.’s top infectious-disease expert, said during a House Covid-19 subcommittee hearing last month that the U.S. likely wouldn’t use vaccines developed in China or Russia, voicing concerns over testing.
Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s Direct investment Fund, which partnered with Gamaleya Institute for the vaccine, said Russia had already received requests from 20 countries, including Brazil, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates for one billion doses of Sputnik-V.
“I don’t believe in it,” she said.
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Could it be? From a nation with an economy about the size of Texas? A roll out in October?
We shall see.
Trump and his supporters are off topic
This is about oneupmanship on the part of the Russians. Has zero to do with humanitarian reasons and helping the rest of the world. It is politics and getting one over on the West.
Yes, that is what it's mainly about, but if it works and they have it first, it will be meaningful.
Could it be?
The likelihood is about zero.
Trump and his supporters are off topic
So, no discussion of Putin? (Could't resist. We shall see if humor is verboten.)
Yup, I am debating whether to scrap this one. I'm sure this vaccine has few safeguards, but the Polio vaccine didn't get the great seal of approval either.
From what I have read, there was virtually no appropriate testing and few if no safeguards.
Beyond this article?
Yes, but I do not recall the source at the moment.
Let us know, I'm interested in anything on this particular topic.
"... Russia’s hard charge toward a potential vaccine has raised alarm among global health experts that the country is jumping dangerously ahead of critical, large-scale testing that is essential to determine if a possible covid-19 protection is safe and effective. Few details of the Gamaleya research have been made public or underwent peer review."
Oh good! I get to read the Washington Post and you get to read the Wall Street Journal. We saved on the prescription costs!
Ok, Let me read it.
Oh well, it won't let me. So, I take it that they make the points you mentioned?
Yes, I quoted from their article. I read the Wall Street Journal whenever I have chance, and I do not have a subscription to either publication. Your seed is showing "404 Page Not Found". I'm not having any problem viewing the Washington Post article.
I know. I had to use the old method to post the article - otherwise my name shows.
I'm not having any problem viewing the Washington Post article.
I think the Post allows so may free articles. I'm well beyond my free articles.
The Post doesn't anymore. They have a paywall up. Frankly, I feel that Google shouldn't carry articles that only some can read.
I get three articles a month for free. After that, any link that goes directly to the website brings up the "subscribe now" message and you can't read the article. I think the three is a bait and switch and I am sure some, who think it is gospel, do sign up.
I don't think the Wall Street Journal ever did. I don't mind subscribing to the WSJ. I get a morning briefing from the New York Times and believe it or not through that I can get some free articles.
Russia does have some great researchers, so who knows. Say it does work and could end this thing, what will Putin demand to share it with the world? My guess would be re-admittance to the G7.
It is possible and the name given to the drug alludes to that - referring back to when the old Soviet Union had the lead in the space race!
Sputnik V is a silly name for the vaccine, but if you own the horse, you get to pick the name.
It is a silly name, but it is a political statement. If it works, Putin gets to say Russia did it first. That sword cuts both ways though. If there is something wrong with it, it only adds to a lot of other Russian disasters such as Chernobyl and a lot of Submariners that Russia left for dead.
Better than Putin that's for sure
If Trump is off-topic, so is Biden.
Well, I guess we will let Vic decide.
IMO the site owner (you) should also have a say in it.
Putin certainly doesn't give a shit about doing humane research so there's no doubt a very large body count behind these supposed results.
Although I agree about the Russian philosophy, vaccines don't tend to kill people. They either work or they don't.
Zombie apocalypse on the way ...... hopefully they are the slow zombies and not the fast ones ...... those fast ones will be a much tougher head shot
Yeah... I can't outrun a "World War Z" zombie.
Yeah, those suckers were all fast. Like 4.4 forty fast.
I'm with you, give me TWD zombies any day
Well, as the saying goes, "I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun the guy next to me...".
Well... I'm pretty much screwed. I'm barely 4'11" with a 25" inseam. My little "Corgi" legs don't move very fast.
Well .... in a zombie apocalypse you would need to outrun the guy next you, and the guy next to him and the guy next to him and the guy next to ..... etc, etc
Lol .... corgi legs .... thats a funny visual
I don't plan to outrun them. I will cook them a chicken instead.
Hey, I am 5'9" and my neighbor's corgi terrified me and once chased me down the block.
So, what you're saying is, sometimes the short ones are scary?
If you had ever been one to my family reunions, you would not have to ask.
Try being 5'9" in a family, mostly women, who are 5'4 and under. I always felt like Snow White and 50 demented dwarfs at family reunions.
I'll hang back on this one.
An interesting gamble by Putin.
If successful, he becomes a savior in the eyes of the world.
If unsuccessful, he might be looking for a new line of work with some urgency.
Sputnik I's batteries died in three weeks. I'll wait to see how Sputnik V holds up in the first billion people.
I heard he gave this new vaccine to his daughter. Did Russia run out of political prisoners?
Define "run out"...
Prisoners are usually the guinea pigs for something like this.