Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, officially announces that a vaccine developed by local scientists now has the regulatory approval for public use. Surprisingly, this new coronavirus vaccine took less than two months to pass through the elaborate process of testing and development. President Vladimir Putin confirms that the vaccine has not missed even a single regulatory check, and says that his daughter is one of the first people who has received a shot. According to the state officials, the procedure of mass vaccination is scheduled to start in October this year. On the other hand, experts doubt the vaccine’s authenticity based on the short amount of development time. They are second-guessing that the researchers and scientists, during the development process, might have resorted to shortcuts.
Doubts about Sputnik-V
Amidst all the fears and doubts about the Russian COVID-19 vaccine’s authenticity, the WHO (World Health Organization) has taken a big step. It has issued orders instructing Russia to make sure that they follow the list of Global guidelines during the development of a vaccine. According to the reports of August 11, WHO has started discussions with Russia. These are regarding a review project in collaboration with experts. The apex authority wants to do a thorough review of Sputnik-V, the name of the new coronavirus vaccine approved by Russia.
For now, the Sputnik-V is yet to find a spot in the list of the six vaccines that will go through the final stage of clinical trials. In this stage, humans will receive more widespread testing to understand the vaccine’s authenticity and effect. Presently, more than 100 vaccines are undergoing a development process across the world. Some of them are also being used on people as part of elaborate clinical trials. Although there is rapid progress in the development process, experts still feel that they will not be able to conclude mid-2021.
Vladimir Putin’s opinion about the vaccine
President Putin seems to be very proud to announce that the Gamaleya Institute of Moscow has come out with the first valid vaccine to treat the symptoms of COVID-19. He assures that the Sputnik-V is capable of providing sustainable immunity against the virus. Putin is still very reluctant to shell out all the information about the vaccine. However, he is continually stressing that the vaccine is quite active and has passed through all the checking procedures. President Vladimir Putin reveals that the vaccine was applied to one of his daughters, which seems to work very well. He says that is daughter was feeling better despite the mild fever.
The President does not want to reveal which of his two daughters took up the experiment. However, he talks about the progress and reports that after his daughter received the first shot, her body temperature shot down to 38-degrees. Later, she received a second shot, and the temperature further shot down to 37.5-degrees. Although the temperature rose a little after the latter does, it soon became normal. It is improbable of President Putin to talk about his daughters publicly. Both Katerina Tikhonova and Maria Vorontsova have been quite secretive about their lives.
Our knowledge about the coronavirus vaccine
According to Russian scientists, the coronavirus vaccine has completed the Stage-I trials, and the results are hopeful. Sources from Gamaleya labs reveal that the scientists have adapted the adenovirus traits to trigger a response from the immune system. It is the same virus that usually infects the body, leading to the flu or common cold symptoms. However, Sputnik-V seems to be receiving so much approval and applause quite early. It is yet to go through the final stage-III trials recommended by the WHO.
Experts believe that passing through the final trials is essential for the vaccine to get final approval. On the other hand, Mikhail Murashko, the health minister of Russia, states his opinion during an interview that was held on August 11. According to him, the new vaccine is very safe and highly effective too. He considers the discovery of the Sputnik-V as a significant step to the victory of humans over COVID-19. Russian officials also revealed the significance of the vaccine’s name. It is named after the first satellite of the world.
Moreover, Sputnik is the perfect Russian word for a single satellite. The Russian government seems to be in a cold war with the US. So, the discovery of the vaccine on Russia’s end is like a silent victory. US, UK, and Canada have already accused Russia of stealing confidential COVID-19 research-related information.
Is the Russia corona vaccine data authentic?
Russia seems to be racing at a superficial speed regarding the development and approval of the COVID-19 vaccine. The first clinical trial began on June 17. Therefore, there was a delay in comparison to China, Europe, and the US. In this context, it becomes imperative to state that the Gamaleya Institute of Moscow is yet to publish immunity data regarding the research work. Therefore, independent scientists are finding it quite impossible to assess the Sputnik-V. At the same time, Putin is working hard to spread the right word about Russian medical science. (adderall) However, being first all the time is futile in some cases.
Other countries are reacting to the Russian COVID-19 vaccine
On the one hand, Russia is trying to prove a point by showing off the prowess of hard work and advanced medical science. On the other hand, scientists, mainly from Europe and the USA, are very skeptical about the authenticity of the end product. In July 2020, Dr. Anthony Fauci, an American infectious disease expert, said that he is doubtful about the validation of both Russian and Chinese vaccines. The primary reason is, of course, the fast-track efforts that will include shortcuts.
Earlier this month, Christian Lindmeier, WHO spokesperson, stated his opinion about Russia’s Sputnik-V. He said that many times, individual researchers and scientists claim a discovery, which is undoubtedly great news. However, genuinely discovering something and discovering the idea that may work further has a lot of difference.
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