MOSCOW: Russia on Saturday approved a third coronavirus vaccine for domestic use, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on state TV, though large-scale clinical trials of the shot, labelled CoviVac and produced by the Chumakov Centre, have yet to begin.
Russia has already approved two COVID-19 vaccines, including the Sputnik V shot, developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute, following a similar approach of granting approval before seeing any late-stage trial results.
The preemptive approvals had raised concerns among some scientists in the West, but inoculations with those first two shots began on a mass scale in Russia only after trials were concluded and showed success.
Sputnik V was approved in August and late-stage trials began in September. Mass vaccination was launched in December, after preliminary trial results showed the vaccine to be 91.4% effective.
Since then, more than two million Russians have been vaccinated with at least the first dose of Sputnik V, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Feb. 10.
Rollout of a second vaccine, developed by the Vector Institute in Novosibirsk, is beginning.
"Today, Russia is the only country to have already three vaccines against COVID-19," Prime Minister Mishustin said.
The Chumakov Centre, founded in 1955 in St Petersburg by Mikhail Chumakov, is known for its work with U.S. scientist Albert Sabin at the height of the Cold War, which led to the production of the widely-used polio vaccine.
DIFFERENT TYPE OF VACCINE
Unlike the Sputnik V vaccine, which uses a modified harmless cold virus that tricks the body into producing antigens to help the immune system prepare for a coronavirus infection, the CoviVac vaccine is a "whole-virion" vaccine.
This means it is made of a coronavirus that has been inactivated, or stripped of its ability to replicate.
"The vaccine we have developed... reflects the whole history of Russian, as well as global, vaccine science," the Chumakov Centre's director, Aidar Ishmukhametov, said on Saturday.
The advantage, according to virologist Alexander Chepurnov, cited by outlet Lenta.Ru, is that CoviVac includes all elements of the virus, creating a broader immune response that is likely to protect against any variants.
However, testing Russia's COVID-19 shots against SARS-CoV-2 variants that have emerged in the UK, South Africa and elsewhere is in its early stages. President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered a review of Russia's COVID-19 vaccines to be presented by March 15 assessing their ability to protect against the new variants.
RESULTS SO FAR
Globally, one other major vaccine candidate - India's COVAXIN by Bharat Biotech - uses the "whole-virion" approach.
India's drug regulator has touted the shot's ability to act against the whole body of a virus instead of just its "spike-protein" tip, potentially making it more effective in case of mutations.
The CoviVac shot is given in two doses, 14 days apart. It is transported and stored at normal fridge temperatures, of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (35.6 to 46.4 Fahrenheit), Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said in a government briefing in January.
The shot has already been tested for safety on 200 people aged between 18 and 60, Ishmukhametov told the state-run Vesti-24 news channel in late January.
This early-stage trial began on Sept. 21 last year, according to the state clinical trials register. It showed no side-effects, including no rise in temperature, Ishmukhametov said.
Mid-stage trials to test volunteers' immune responses were ongoing, he said at the time.
Only a placebo-controlled, large-scale trial could ascertain effectiveness, he added. This is due to begin now that the go-ahead has been granted.
The first 120,000 doses, however, will be produced and released to the national inoculation programme in March, Mishustin said.
Then, the Chumakov Centre will produce around half a million doses per month on its platforms, Ishmukhametov said on Saturday.
Deputy Prime Minister Golikova also announced on Saturday that Russia will produce 88 million vaccine doses in the first half of this year, including 83 million Sputnik V doses.
Reuters
Sat Feb 20 2021
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin chairs a meeting with senior executives of the Central Office of Russian Government in Moscow, Russia, Jan 19, 2021. REUTERSpic
Baltic Sea nations seek to limit further incidents after cable breaches
Some 2,000 ships are crossing the Baltic Sea every day, making it difficult to monitor it all, says Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics.
EU reassesses tech probes into Apple, Google and Meta, FT reports
The tech giants have urged US President-elect Donald Trump to challenge European Union's regulatory scrutiny against them.
Women's restrooms and new tiles at Batu Caves to be ready for Thaipusam
Tan Sri R. Nadarajah says, about RM6 million has been spent to date to carry out repair and maintenance works at the place of worship.
Federal Court sets March 13-14 for hearing of final appeals in Kevin Morais' murder case
Six men are appealing against the Court of Appeal's decision to uphold their conviction for murder and the death sentences.
UK man fined RM700 for entering protected area at KLIA
Polak Kendon is charged with entering a protected area at Gate C, level five of KLIA T1, without a valid pass.
Indonesia plans minimum age for social media use
The move aims at protecting children, its communications minister says.
Level Up: The Superman guide to the future of work
By 2030, tasks performed solely by humans are expected to shrink from 47% to 33%.
Future-proof your career: Master these 5 core skills to thrive by 2025
As automation takes over routine tasks, creativity will become a defining trait for employees.
Why the labour market is evolving and how employers are adapting
As AI and technology advance, skills like cognitive abilities, ethics, and technology-related expertise will either gain or lose importance.
US Justice Dept releases report on Trump attempt to overturn 2020 election
Investigations found Trump spread false 2020 voter fraud claims, pressured lawmakers, and pushed fake electors to overturn 2020 election.
Sydney closes nine beaches due to mysterious ball-shaped debris
Most of the samples of the ball-shaped debris were the size of marbles, with some larger, says Northern Beaches Council.
Distribution of RM13 bil SARA, STR aid begins tomorrow, highest in history
The SARA aid will be increased to RM2,100 in 2025 compared to RM1,200 in 2024 for eligible households recorded in the eKasih system.
[COLUMNIST] The hidden struggles hehind Malaysia’s GPI ranking
Essentially, a nation may appear peaceful externally but lack the critical structures to sustain peace during stress or upheaval.
Impeachment trial of South Korea's Yoon adjourned after he does not attend
If Yoon Suk-Yeol decides not to attend the next trial proceedings, it will start with his legal team representing him.
Earthquake shakes Tibetan monasteries, casualties among clergy unknown
The magnitude 6.8 quake reduced to rubble roofs and walls at a monastery and a nunnery in Tingri.
Trial of South Korea's impeached President Yoon set to begin
The Constitutional Court must decide within 180 days whether to remove Yoon Suk-Yeol from office or restore his presidential powers.
Pahang sees slight increase in flood evacuees, Johor declines to 2,498
JPBN says only the water level at Sungai Kahang in Kampung Contoh, Kluang, remains above the danger level.
India's Maha Kumbh festival sees 15 million people take holy dip on first day
Nearly 15 million Hindus, six times the number expected, took a dip in freezing waters seeking absolution of their sins.
Fire-stricken Los Angeles braces for dangerous Santa Ana winds
Over 8,500 firefighters battled fires in Los Angeles, preventing the conflagrations from spreading overnight by air and ground efforts.
China mulls potential sale of TikTok US to Musk, Bloomberg News reports
TikTok says the government's stake "has no bearing on ByteDance's global operations outside of China, including TikTok."