Coronavirus

Russian Minister Claims COVID Vaccine Ready For Use

By
OB Bureau

Moscow: A top Russian minister has claimed that a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the country’s Defence Ministry has completed Phase 2 trials and it was ready for use for domestic inoculation.

In an interview with Argumenty i Fakty newspaper published on Tuesday, Russia’s First Deputy Defence Minister Ruslan Tsalikov said a second group of volunteers ended phase 2 trials Monday, with everyone developing immunity from coronavirus and feeling fine.

The minister, however, didn’t say when large-scale phase 3 trials would take place or when production of the vaccine may begin, according to a report by news agency Bloomberg.

The Russian Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tests of the vaccine are continuing, the Interfax news service reported, citing the Health Ministry in response to the statement.

“They’re all getting ahead of themselves,” said Sergei Netesov, a former executive at Vector, a state-run virology centre in Novosibirsk that is also working on an inoculation. “The third phase has not started yet, or even been announced. The reason they’re in such a rush is completely incomprehensible,” he added.

The Russian army is developing the vaccine with the state-run Gamaleya Institute in Moscow and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).

The phase 3 trials, which will include thousands of people in Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are scheduled to begin on August 3 and distribution of the vaccine could start as early as September, RDIF’s head Kirill Dmitriev had said last week.

Also Read: COVID-19 Vaccine In India By February Next Year, Says ILS Odisha Director

Also Read: Did Russia’s Elite Get Access To Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine In April? 

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

Thalassemia & Sickle Cell Patients Stage Dharna For Blood Transfusion Centre At MKCG Hospital In Odisha’s Berhampur

Berhampur: Hundreds of thalassemia and sickle cell patients on Tuesday staged a demonstration demanding a…

November 26, 2024

Samantha Ruth Prabhu Was Labelled ‘Second Hand’, ‘Used’ After Divorce With Naga Chaitanya

Mumbai: Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu and her ex-husband actor Naga Chaitanya have moved on after…

November 26, 2024

Amid Divorce Rumours, Aishwarya Asks Women To Never Compromise On Their Worth [Watch]

Mumbai: Amidst rumours of their divorce, Bollywood queen Aishwarya Rai asked women to stand up…

November 26, 2024

Prime Minister Modi To Participate In Roadshow On Arrival In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in a roadshow on his arrival at Bhubaneswar…

November 26, 2024

How Custody Battle With Elon Musk Left His Ex-Girlfriend Grimes ‘Bankrupt’

New York: Elon Musk, father of 12 children with different partners, has led an eventful…

November 26, 2024

Vigilance Apprehends College Principal While Taking Rs 1 Lakh Bribe In Odisha’s Nayagarh

Bhubaneswar: Vigilance has apprehended a college principal while taking a bribe of Rs 1 lakh…

November 26, 2024

FIR Against ‘Pushpa 2’ Actor Shri Tej For Cheating & Exploiting Woman

Mumbai: Ahead of the release of Allu Arjun's highly-anticipated ‘Pushpa: The Rule’, one of the…

November 26, 2024

Odisha Govt Rejects IAS Officer Sujata Karthikeyan’s Leave Extension Application

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has rejected the application of IAS officer Sujata R Karthikeyan for…

November 26, 2024