Russia claims to have coronavirus vaccine ready

Russia has reportedly claimed to get the first domestic vaccine against novel coronavirus ready.

All the volunteers who received the vaccine have developed immunity against the deadly virus, Russian First Deputy Defense Minister Ruslan Tsalikov said.

“Thus, the first domestic vaccine against a new coronavirus infection is ready,” he said in an interview with Argumenty i Fakty newspaper, seeming to overlook the 3rd phase of clinical trials.

The scientists of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology and military specialists prepared the vaccine, reports UNB citing news agency Tass.

In the interview with Moscow -based AiF, Tsalikov said the phase-2 trial of the vaccine ended on Monday with the volunteers feeling fine. He, however, did not reveal any information over phase-3 trials or any timeframe for beginning its production.

Meanwhile, a former executive of Vector, a state-run virology center, expressed dissatisfaction over the announcement.

Sergey Netesof, the former executive, said the third phase has not started yet, or even been announced. The reason they’re in such a rush is completely incomprehensible, reports another Russian news agency Interfax.

Earlier, Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitrievis disclosed that the army was developing a vaccine with the state-run Gamaleya Institute in Moscow and the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

Phase 3 trials, which will include thousands of people in Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are scheduled to begin August 3 and distribution of the vaccine could start as early as September, he added.