Russia Covid Vaccine, Here’s What WHO Says?

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a coronavirus (Covid 19) vaccine, touted as the world's first such vaccine. The registration of the vaccine lays ground for mass inoculation even as the final stages of clinical trials to test safety and efficacy continue.

The announcement came in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 20 million people and killed nearly 750,000 worldwide, thus, crippling world economies.

Russia dubbed its newly launched vaccine against coronavirus "Sputnik V" after the Soviet satellite.

"This morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was registered in Russia,” Putin said during a televised video conference call with government ministers.

Putin emphasized that the vaccine underwent the necessary tests. He added that one of his two daughters has received a shot of the vaccine and is feeling well.

On the other hand, the World Health Organisation and Russian health authorities are now discussing the process for possible WHO prequalification for Covid-19 vaccine, a WHO spokesman said on Tuesday.

"We are in close contact with Russian health authorities and discussions are ongoing with respect to possible WHO prequalification of the vaccine, but again prequalification of any vaccine includes the rigorous review and assessment of all required safety and efficacy data," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told a U.N. briefing in Geneva, referring to clinical trials, according to reports.

Russia's first coronavirus vaccine is developed jointly by Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian Defence Ministry.

Clinical trials of the vaccine began on June 18 and included 38 volunteers. All of the participants developed immunity. The first group was discharged on July 15 and the second group on July 20.