Russia Appproves First COVID-19 Vaccine

Kevin Namunwa | Aug 11, 2020

After much anticipation and efforts from scientists around the globe, Russian Gamaleya Insititute’s Covid-19 vaccine has been approved by the country’s health ministry.

The vaccine, which was developed at the institute in Moscow, has been approved after less than two months of human testing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, said on Tuesday that the vaccine has been approved pending mass inoculation.

However, the vaccine still owes the final stages of clinical trials to test safety and efficacy which are still in progress.

Russia has shown its determination to win the global race for an effective product by the speed at which it has moved to roll out the vaccine. The move has raised concerns that Russia may be putting national prestige before science and safety.

Meanwhile, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has shown his support for Russia’s vaccine by volunteering to take the first shot of the vaccine.

“When the vaccine arrives, I will have myself injected in public. Experiment on me first, that's fine with me,” President Duterte said as quoted by Strait Times