Russia to test its COVID-19 vaccine 'Sputnik V' on 40,000 people next week

Russia is set to test its COVID-19 vaccine ‘Sputnik V’ on at least 40,000 people across the nation starting next week and it will be monitored by a foreign research body, said the backers of the project on Thursday, August 20.

These are reported to be the first details on the magnitude of the late-stage trial by Russia after it announced the ‘world’s first’ COVID-19 vaccine and caused a stir on the international community. Despite the speculation around the drug's safety, efficiency, and lack of data put forth by the critics, the developers of the Russian vaccine are aiming to allay some of the concerns.

Read - Russia Eyes Partnership With India For Producing COVID-19 Vaccine Sputnik V

In homage to the world’s first satellite developed by the Soviet Union, Russia named its COVID-19 vaccine candidate ‘Sputnik V’. While announcing the potential COVID-19 vaccine, Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned that one of his two adult daughters has been inoculated. The authorities from the nation hailed the efficiency of its COVID-19 vaccine after a two-month-long small scale human trial, details of which, however, are not available to the public. 

The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) which is supporting Sputnik V, Kirill Dmitriev is reported to have said in a press briefing that a range of countries are ‘running an information war’ against the Russian vaccine. He also said the vaccine data would be published in an academic journal by the end of August. But, experts from around the world have showcased their scepticism against its use until all the internationally-approved testing, as well as regulatory steps, have been fulfilled to prove its success. 

Read - Serum Institute Of India To Begin Trial On 1600 Volunteers For Potential COVID-19 Vaccine

Russia has received orders up to billion doses of Sputnik V

As the global COVID-19 infections have surpassed the 22.5 million mark with over 789,600 deaths, the world has gotten more desperate to develop a suitable vaccine for the novel coronavirus diseases. This has Russia covered with requests for up to a billion doses of its self-touted COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

Moreover, RDIF head also said that Russia has the capacity to produce 500 million doses of Sputnik V. The research involving 40,000 volunteers in Russia would be subjected to mass testing at more than 45 medical centres across the nation. 

Read - Brazil Approves Human Trials For Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate

Read - Iran To Wait For WHO Approval On Russia's COVID-19 Vaccine Before Negotiating Deal