Russia COVID-19 Vaccine May Be Ready By Mid-August, But Concerns Still Remain
Reports reveal that Russian authorities are working on a date of August 10 or even earlier for the approval of the vaccine developed by Gamleya Institute. It is, however, crucial to note that Russia us yet to complete its phase two trials. The researchers are looking to commence the third phase in parallel with the second phase, by vaccinating medical workers with the same.
A few weeks ago we heard that Russia successfully completing its human trials for the COVID-19 vaccine that it is working on.
And now, news reports state that this Russia COVID-19 vaccine could soon regulatory approval for human use, making it the first COVID-19 vaccine in the world passed for human use.
AP
Reports by CNN reveal that Russian authorities are working on a date of August 10 or even earlier for the approval of the Coronavirus vaccine developed by Gamleya Institute. It is, however, crucial to note that Russia us yet to complete its phase two trials. The researchers are looking to commence the third phase in parallel with the second phase, by vaccinating medical workers with the same.
ALSO READ: Seven Coronavirus Vaccines Being Developed To Defeat COVID-19 And Save Millions Of Lives
Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, which is financing Russian vaccine research, in a conversation with CNN stated, "It's a Sputnik moment. Americans were surprised when they heard Sputnik's beeping. It's the same with this vaccine.
While this might sound like good news to many, some serious concerns remain.
Russia COVID-19 vaccine question marks
We¡¯ve already spoken about why Russia expediting its vaccine rings many alarms in the process. For starters, the sample size was fairly small, involving roughly 20 volunteers where other vaccine candidates have thousands. Also, the process seems to be fairly rushed, that doesn't really instil a lot of faith.
Moreover, Russia isn¡¯t being very clear with the kind of tech it is applying for developing the vaccine. Russian officials state that they¡¯re using human adenovirus vectors that have been made weaker so they don¡¯t replicate in the body.
But most vaccine contenders are using two of these vectors, not one that are given one after another. The authorities have however stated that they¡¯ll be issuing their scientific data for review and publication by August, which should help clear some doubts.
Also, recently Russian authorities denied allegations that Russian hackers hacked into American, British and Canadian labs to steal research data on COVID-19 vaccines. So holding on our horses for other alternatives to surface is the right way to go.
Reuters
Other alternatives seem more promising
Oxford-Astra Zeneca¡¯s ChAdOx1 (which will be sold in India by Serum Institute by the name of Covishield) and Moderna¡¯s mRNA vaccine are currently in their final phases of testing that are not only involving a larger test sample (Oxford vaccine has around 5000 volunteers for its phase 3 trials while Moderna has 30,000 volunteers for its trial) but at the same time have shown successful results in first and second phases of the trial. And even then the authorities are stating that there is a long way to go for these vaccines to save human lives from COVID-19.
If all goes well, Serum Institute Of India has stated that Covishield will be launched in India as early as November this year with Indians getting vaccinated starting December 2020.
Disclaimer: While there have been several different types of treatments being given to COVID-19 patients across the world, there isn¡¯t any one drug that has worked as a sure-shot treatment yet. Don¡¯t self medicate and always consult your doctor or medical health professional for any symptoms.
