Russia releases COVID-19 vaccine for public circulation

According to the Russian Health ministry, the COVID-19 vaccine “Sputnik V” has been released for public circulation.

The vaccine has been developed by Russia’s Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).

The ministry said in its statement, “The first batch of the Gam-COVID-Vac’ (Sputnik V) vaccine for the prevention of new corona virus infection has passed the necessary quality tests in the laboratories of Roszdravnadzor (medical device regulator) and has been released into civil circulation.”

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin expressed hope that the majority of residents of the Russian capital would be vaccinated against the corona virus within a few months.

Recently, a leading medical journal, The Lancet, published that the Phase 1 and Phase 2 results of testing the corona virus vaccine in Russia were successful and had no major side effects on the patients.

The Russian minister Mikhail Murashko had announced that the third phase trial of the COVID-19 vaccine will be conducted as early as this week and the first batch of the vaccine will be delivered to other parts of the country in the near future itself.

The COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, was registered by the Russian ministry on August 11 to become the first of its kind in the world to combat the virus that has infected nearly 27.3 million people across the world.

According to reports, countries including UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mexico and Brazil have expressed their interest in obtaining the vaccine.

Russia plans to increase the vaccine production to 200 million doses by the end of 2020, which includes 30 million in Russia.