Russia has released first batch of its indigenous vaccine, Sputnik V, against coronavirus for public circulation and the delivery of the same would be facilitated regionally as soon as possible, the Russian Health Ministry said. The vaccine has been developed by Russia’s Gameleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology and Russian Direct Investment Fund(RDIF).
Sputnik V has passed the quality tests in the laboratories and Roszdranvnadzor(medical service regulator), said the ministry in a statement.
“The first batch of the ‘Gam-COVID-Vac’ (Sputnik V) vaccine for the prevention of the new coronavirus infection, developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Ministry of Health of Russia, has passed the necessary quality tests in the laboratories of Roszdravnadzor (medical device regulator) and has been released into civil circulation,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Russian health ministry announced its first vaccine against novel coronavirus on August 11, becoming the first in the world to make a vaccine available for the public use.
While the country is committed to release vaccine for public circulation, medical experts around the globe including members of the World Health Organisation(WHO) have warned against the Russian vaccine as it did not complete the mandatory trial of developing a vaccine candidate.
Sergey Sobyanin, the Mayor of Moscow, has expressed his hope that the vaccine would reach to a majority of Russian capital’s residents in next few months.