Russia first nation to finish human trials for Covid vaccine

Moscow, Russia has become the first nation to complete clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine on humans, and the results have proven the medication’s effectiveness, the media reported. Chief researcher Elena Smolyarchuk, who heads the Center for Clinical Research on Medications at Sechenov University, told Russian news agency TASS on Sunday that the human trials for the vaccine have been completed at the university and they will be discharged soon.

Russia’s COVID Vaccine Trials

• Russia had on June 18 given a go ahead for the human trials of two potential vaccine candidates developed by Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology.
• The first vaccine trial was carried out at the Burdenko Military Hospital. The first vaccine is in the form of a solution for intramuscular administration.
• The second vaccine trial was carried out at Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University. The second vaccine is in the form of a powder for the preparation of a solution for intramuscular administration.
• In the first stage of trials at Sechenov University, the first group involved around 18 volunteers and the second group involved 20 volunteers.
• All volunteers had to remain in isolation at the hospital for 28 days after vaccination.

Objective

• The objective of the clinical trials was to show the vaccine’s safety for human health.

What did the human trial results show?

• The data retrieved from Gamalei National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology showed that the volunteers of the first and second groups were developing an immunity to COVID-19 after getting injected with the vaccine.
• The safety of the vaccine for human health was also confirmed.

When will Russia’s COVID vaccine be available in markets?

• Despite the successful human trials of the COVID vaccine, there is no official confirmation on when Russia’s vaccine will enter commercial production stage and be available for local people.

Background

• According to the World Health Organisation, there are at least 21 vaccines that are undergoing human trials across the world.
• India has also begun clinical trials of its two potential vaccine candidates- Bharat Biotech and ICMR’s COVAXIN and Zydus Cadila’s ZyCov-D.
• The registrations for the human trials of the Indian vaccines began on July 7.

UPSC