The Russian government is claiming it will start production of a viable coronavirus vaccine candidate next month and begin the mass immunisation of the populace in October.
Russia plans to approve it next week and aims to sell it to other countries, with Brazil and India showing interest.
However, Russia’s vaccine is still largely surrounding in mystery. In July, Clinical trials were conducted on volunteers at the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University and involved 38 people in two separate groups. Allegedly, the vaccine proved to be effective and safe and is being developed and produced by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology along with the Russian defence ministry.
But there is no public data available on this trial and the only information on the completion of clinical trials is from the Russian state. There are also rumours that the vaccine has already been giving to Russia’s elite and researchers may have dosed themselves as part of the clinical trials.
Dennis Manturov, the Minister of Trade and Industry, told Tass in an interview: “We are very much counting on starting mass production in September. We will be able to ensure production volumes of several hundred thousand a month, with an eventual increase to several million by the start of next year.”
