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Russia COVID-19 vaccine: Who will buy it? Read world leader’s reaction
- Israel will examine Russia's COVID-19 vaccine and enter negotiations to buy it
- Brazil's Parana state governor Ratinho Junior was expected to meet the Russian ambassador to Brazil on Wednesday
Russia on Tuesday declared that it had become the first country to approve a vaccine against novel coronavirus. Dubbed as Sputnik V, the vaccine was developed by Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian defence ministry. Russia registered the vaccine after less than two months of human testing. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that one of his daughters had been inoculated with the vaccine. “I know it has proven efficient and forms a stable immunity, and I would like to repeat that it has passed all the necessary tests," Putin said.
Based on a Chinese prototype, Sputnik V is a vector vaccine employs another virus to carry the immune response into human cells. Russia health ministry said that the COVID-19 vaccine offers lasting immunity from the virus. The vaccine is expected to provide immunity from the coronavirus for up to two years, according to health ministry.
What world leaders are saying:
German Health Minister Jens Spahn said the vaccine had not been sufficiently tested, adding the aim was to have a safe product rather than just being first to start vaccinating people.
Israel will examine Russia's COVID-19 vaccine and enter negotiations to buy it if it is found to be a "serious product", Israel's health minister said.
Philippine scientists were set to meet representatives of the Russian research facility that developed the vaccine on Wednesday, to discuss possible participation in clinical trials and access to its research data.
Brazil's Parana state governor Ratinho Junior was expected to meet the Russian ambassador to Brazil on Wednesday to discuss the terms of an agreement to produce the vaccine. But it was unclear if the state's research institute would get regulatory approval in Brazil.
Kazakhstan plans to send government officials to Moscow later this month to discuss possible deliveries.
Mexico's coronavirus czar, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell, said he was surprised by the Russian announcement and the government would wait for more information.
WHO's reaction
The World Health Organization and Russian health authorities are discussing the process for possible WHO prequalification, a WHO spokesman said on Tuesday.
"Prequalification of any vaccine includes the rigorous review and assessment of all required safety and efficacy data," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told a UN briefing in Geneva, referring to clinical trials.
Jarbas Barbosa, assistant director of the WHO's regional branch, the Pan American Health Organization, was asked on Tuesday about potential production of the vaccine in Brazil. He said that should not be done until Phase 2 and 3 trials are completed to guarantee its safety and effectiveness.
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First Published:12 Aug 2020, 08:44 PM IST
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