As part of the strategy to curtail spread of coronavirus in Russia, the government has approved a vaccine for treatment of persons discovered to have been infected with the virus in the country.
The government said that the vaccine, ‘Medgamal’, has been tested and would be made available for other countries battling with the pandemic to stem the tide within their domain.
Announcing the approved vaccine on Tuesday, Russian president, Vladimir Putin, stated that the vaccine has also been registered to assist the world to gain control over the virus.
Putin added that the drug was finally developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology barely five days ago after completing the needed test to ascertain its effectiveness.
Addressing his cabinet ministers, Putin: “I know that it works quite effectively, it forms a stable immunity. So we’re the first to have registered. I hope our foreign colleagues’ work will move as well, and a lot of products will appear in an international market that could be used”.
Russia’s vaccine has come amid concerns about its safety, effectiveness, and allegations that the country has cut essential corners in its development, having cut the crucial Phase 3 trials which were billed to take place after state registration of the vaccine.
In a bid to ascertain vaccine level of efficacy and safety, he revealed that it was administered on one of his daughters, while also confirming that there was an increase in her temperature but she feels much better now
“I know this very well too, as one of my daughters has been inoculated with the vaccine. I think that in this way she participated in the experiment. After the first injection, her temperature was 38 [degrees Celsius], the next day 37-something and that’s it. After the second, the temperature also got a bit higher but that’s it, then it went back down. Now she feels well”.
