Doctors, Medics First To Get Russia's COVID-19 Vaccine This Month

Russia is set to administer its COVID-19 vaccine to medics in two weeks, dismissing safety concerns raised by global health experts.

On Tuesday, Russia confirmed the approval and registration of its coronavirus vaccine. Russian president Vladimir Putin announced that Russia was the first to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine after initial human testing showed that the shot was safe to use.

Russia’s coronavirus vaccine has yet to complete the final phase of the clinical trials. As of now, about 10 percent of the initial trials were successful and experts are worried that the vaccine might only put more people in danger. Shortly after Putin’s announcement, global health experts warned against the use of Russia’s vaccine, saying the tests conducted on the drug might have not picked up its potential adverse effects on humans.

Experts also said Moscow should prioritize safety over national prestige. However, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko rejected their sentiments and reassured the world that their vaccine was safe. “It seems our foreign colleagues are sensing competitive advantages of the Russian drug and are trying to express opinions that in our opinion are completely groundless,” he said.

Murashko said Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine will be ready soon and will be given to doctors and other medical practitioners on a voluntary basis. “The first packages of the medical vaccine against the coronavirus infection will be received within the next two weeks, primarily for doctors,” he said.

Russia’s coronavirus vaccine was developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute. Gamaleya director Alexander Gintsburg said the results of the final phase of clinical trials will be published as soon as they have been reviewed by Russia’s health experts. He also revealed that Russia will produce 5 million doses of the vaccine by January 2021.

Meanwhile, officials said doctors to receive the vaccine this month will be closely monitored after the injections. Mass vaccination will then begin in October. “We expect tens of thousands of volunteers to be vaccinated within the next months,” said Russian Direct Investment Fund chief executive Kirill Dmitriev.