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Coronavirus pandemic
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Russian scientists have released the first report on their coronavirus vaccine, saying that early tests showed signs of an immune response.
The report published by the medical journal The Lancet said that each participant developed antibodies to fight the virus and had no serious side effects.
Russia licensed the vaccine for local use in August, the first country to do so and before the data was released.
Experts say the trials were too small to show its efficacy and safety.
But Moscow has hailed the results as a response to critics. Some Western experts have raised concerns about the speed of Russia’s work, suggesting that researchers could be taking shortcuts.
President Vladimir Putin said the vaccine had passed all the required controls and that he had administered it to one of his own daughters.
What does the report say?
The participants, aged 18 to 60, were monitored for 42 days and all developed antibodies within three weeks. Among the most common side effects are headaches and joint pain.
The trials were open-label and non-randomized, meaning there was no placebo and the volunteers knew they were receiving the vaccine.
“Large long-term trials that include a placebo comparison and additional follow-up are needed to establish the long-term safety and efficacy of the vaccine in preventing Covid-19 infection,” the report noted.
A third phase of trials will involve 40,000 volunteers from “different age and risk groups,” according to the document.
The Russian vaccine uses adapted strains of the adenovirus, a virus that generally causes the common cold, to trigger an immune response.
There is still a long way to go
By Philippa Roxby, BBC Health Reporter
“Encouraging” and “so far so good” are some of the reactions of scientists in the UK, but there is clearly still a long way to go. Although the vaccine showed an antibody response in all participants in phase 2, this does not necessarily mean that it would protect them from the virus. That has yet to be established yet.
From these results, we can say that the vaccine appeared to be safe in healthy people between the ages of 18 and 60 for 42 days, because that was how long the study lasted. But what about older people and people with underlying health conditions who are at higher risk for Covid-19? How safe is it for them and for a longer period of time?
This can only be answered after much larger long-term randomized trials in which the people who participate do not know whether they are receiving the vaccine or a sham injection. These will also tell scientists how effective the vaccine really is among a much larger population.
There have also been calls for openness and transparency. Of the many vaccines currently being tested around the world, some will work better than others in certain situations and perhaps in certain groups of people. So knowing exactly how well they work and for whom is paramount – one vaccine is unlikely to be right for everyone.
What has been the reaction?
Kirill Dmitriev, director of a Russian investment fund behind the vaccine, said during a press conference that the report was “a powerful response to skeptics who unreasonably criticized the Russian vaccine.”
He said 3,000 people had already been recruited for the next phase of trials.
Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said the country would start vaccinations from November or December, with a focus on high-risk groups.
But experts warned that there is still a long way to go before a vaccine can enter the market.
Brendan Wen, professor of microbial pathogenesis at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told Reuters news agency: “The report is a case of ‘so far, so good.’
According to the World Health Organization, 176 potential vaccines are currently being developed around the world. Of those, 34 are currently being tested in people. Among them, eight are in stage three, the most advanced.
