Russia has registered the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. The vaccine is called Sputnik-5, in reference to the world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik, launched from Russia (then the Soviet Union). Although the final test / trial of this vaccine is not over yet, it is the first Covid-19 vaccine in the world to be approved at the experimental stage.
Russia has already received orders for more than 1 billion doses of the vaccine from more than 20 countries.
There is a kind of competition among scientists / researchers around the world for the discovery of the Covid-19 vaccine. Under such circumstances, President Putin said that Russian scientists have been able to achieve great success in the race to discover the vaccine, that they have received approval for the world's first Covid-19 vaccine, and that his daughter has taken a dose of the vaccine herself.
Using the formula developed by the Gamalea Institute before the end of the clinical trial, the officials in charge want to start a large trial of this vaccine on millions of people soon, including thousands of doctors, health workers, teachers, etc. working on the frontline at this critical moment.
However, many scientists are skeptical and critical of Russia's rapid success in the vaccine race. It is a matter of concern how safe this competitive behavior of Russia is for the people. Many see Russia's reckless pursuit of dominance in the vaccine market as a result of direct competition with China and the West. Large-scale public trials are needed to ensure that a vaccine is completely safe and effective. But according to many, Russia is in a hurry for the big trial of Sputnik 5, where the final clinical trial is not over yet. There are also doubts about whether Russia is putting extra pressure on researchers to avoid rapid success in the vaccine race, or whether it is avoiding anything or using shortcut techniques. In a critical situation like the coronavirus, many fear that the consequences could be dangerous if such a fast-track method is followed. But Russian authorities say Sputnik 5 is able to provide safe and stable immunity, while also condemning Western efforts to undermine Russian research.
The WHO, on the other hand, said that any vaccine for Covid-19 would have to undergo rigorous testing and detailed safety data analysis if it was to receive WHO approval. Last week, a WHO official said that before a vaccine can be licensed, it must first complete all stages of trials and other tests. Russia's RDIF chief Kirill Dimitriev said Russia's Department of Health would follow all instructions necessary for vaccine approval, with no part omitted. A UN health official said they were in "close discussions" with Russian health officials about the possibility of fulfilling WHO's pre-guidelines for vaccine approval.
Sputnik is the world's first artificial satellite. Launched in 1958, Russia launched a space race around the world, with all major nations competing for the skies. In 2020, Russia added a new dimension to the ongoing competition for vaccine discovery by approving, naming and announcing a public trial of its own vaccine.
