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Answering the question of how likely it is that a vaccine registered in Russia is safe, K. Garuolienė relied on the opinion of scientists: so far they are skeptical about this vaccine.
It’s too early to draw conclusions
“You need data to find out and make sure. These data are not given to the world of science, so it is difficult to draw conclusions,” he did not begin to evaluate.
But if Russia still had the right vaccine, would we buy it? “It just came to our notice then. Russian pharmaceutical companies themselves have stated that insufficient data has been provided on the vaccine. First, for a vaccine to be used, there must be evidence that it is effective and safe. Until then , think about purchases in advance, ”said K. Garuolienė.
As noted by the Deputy Minister, Lithuania, along with other European Union (EU) countries, is currently engaged in negotiations with the pharmaceutical industry on the purchase of vaccines. It is very important for Lithuania, as a small country, to participate in European formats.
He confirmed that if a suitable vaccine appeared somewhere, our country would not be left out of the market due to the small market: all Member States are working together to buy the vaccine for EU citizens.
Speaking about the registration stages of a safe vaccine for mass use, K. Garuolienė said that such a procedure generally takes about ten years.
© Imago / Scanpix
The investigation does not go beyond the third stage
However, recognizing the importance of cooperation between all supervisory authorities, this process is accelerating as much as possible. All countries are concentrating, conducting clinical research, helping industry.
“It just came to our notice then. If it were created at that time, it would be a record. It’s hard to imagine that this could be the case,” the deputy minister said, adding that this is a record period compared to the usual deadline for the vaccine development.
Each vaccine has a long way to go before it can be marketed. Preclinical studies with experimental animals. The clinical phase consists of three phases: with an increasing number of subjects.
“When you are convinced that the vaccine is safe and effective, you allow it to be widely used,” said the specialist.
According to her, so far no vaccine has passed the third stage of COVID-19; the studies are conducted on a relatively small number of people.
K. Garuolienė noted that after a certain low tide, the number of coronavirus cases began to increase not only in our country, but also in others. However, this is not an ultra-rapid spread like the beginning of a pandemic.
The number of cases is increasing, but the situation is under control
“The number of cases is increasing, but compared to the beginning, we now know how to live with this virus, how to control it,” the deputy minister said about a different preparation.
However, there are still reports that dozens or dozens of people have been diagnosed with coronavirus each day. This should become the norm, so don’t panic?
According to K. Garuolienė, everything depends on the number, on how it grows. If it remains stable, then yes, there is no need to panic. If it jumped to a few hundred, the situation would get complicated.
“Epidemiological indicators are being monitored. It should be understood that as long as there is no vaccine or drugs that can effectively cure this disease, this is likely to be the case. But how we live is very important, if we follow hygiene requirements, distance determines a lot, “he said.
Advanced vaccines did not include
The WHO said the coronavirus vaccine approved in Russia this week is not among the nine drugs the agency believes have reached the advanced testing stage.
According to the BNS news agency, the WHO and its partners have included nine experimental vaccines against the COVID-19 coronavirus infection in the joint COVAX research and funding mechanism.
This initiative allows countries to invest in a range of potential vaccines and ensure early access to approved products, but at the same time, theoretically, it guarantees assistance to developing countries that lack the funds to purchase vaccines.
“We currently do not have enough information to make an evaluation of the vaccine developed in Russia,” said Bruce Aylward, senior adviser to the WHO director general.
However, the WHO is consulting with Russia for additional information to understand the status of this product, what tests have been carried out and only then will it be decided what the next steps might be.
WHO Geneva spokesman Tarik Yasharevich said the United Nations had “close contacts” with Russian health officials, but it was too early to express its position on the vaccine.
Russia hopes to begin mass production of the vaccine in September and plans to begin vaccinating medical personnel immediately.
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