Putin did not receive a ‘safe’ COVID-19 vaccine: that’s not possible



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“We have not yet started large-scale vaccination and the head of state cannot be vaccinated as a volunteer. That is not possible, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday after being asked whether Putin had been vaccinated. . “An uncertified vaccine should not be given to the president.”

Last week, the number of people with coronavirus in Russia exceeded 2 million. The country ranks fifth in the world in terms of identified cases.

In August, Putin announced the registration of the Sputnik V vaccine. The second vaccine was registered in October, although a third phase of testing is still underway to determine the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.

Russia is already vaccinating medical personnel, teachers and officials. Approximately 2.9 million tonnes is expected to be produced by the end of the year. dose, said Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova.

“Efficiency reaches 95 percent”

A second interim analysis of clinical trial data with the Russian coronavirus Sputnik V vaccine showed its effectiveness to be 95 percent, the developers said Tuesday.

According to them, the two-dose vaccine will be available on international markets for less than $ 10 (€ 8.4) per dose, and Russian citizens will receive it for free.

According to the developers, the Russian vaccine can be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius instead of cold, like other vaccines.

The calculations are based on preliminary data obtained within 42 days of the first dose of the vaccine, according to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Health, the Gamalaya State Research Center and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RTIF). ).

It indicates that the effectiveness of the vaccine was 91.4% 28 days after the first dose; this figure is based on 39 cases.

After 42 days and the second dose, “the vaccine was more than 95 percent effective.”

However, the statement does not indicate how many specific cases were used in these calculations.

“The second analysis was done one week after the volunteers received the second dose; this means that their bodies have partially responded to both doses, “said Alexander Gincburg, director of the Gamalea Research Center.

The director said the vaccine’s effectiveness should be “even higher” three weeks after the second dose.

The statement said the first dose was injected at 22,000. volunteers, and the second – more than 19 thousand.

The vaccine is also being tested abroad in the United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Belarus, and other countries.

Russia became the first country to register a COVID-19 vaccine in August, but it did so even before the large-scale clinical trials that are still ongoing.

Last month, President Putin announced that Russia had registered a second coronavirus vaccine, EpiVacCorona, as the global race for an effective vaccine to fight the pandemic intensified, claiming a total of nearly $ 1.4 million. lives.

Last week, Putin said that Russia has contracts for vaccine production with China and India. The Russian leader also called on Brazil and South Africa to mass-produce Russian vaccines.

Pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and BioNTech said their COVID-19 vaccine was 95 percent effective, while Moderna said last week that its vaccine candidate was 94.5 percent effective.



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