Russia's second COVID-19 vaccine shows positive sign in early human trials: Report

The second COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by Russia is showing positive results in early trials in humans, according to reports. After the approval of the controversial 'Sputnik V' vaccine earlier this month, Russia is testing another vaccine candidate dubbed 'EpiVacCorona'. As per reports, the vaccine, which has been developed by the country's Vector State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology, is showing positive signs following early testing in humans. Media reports suggest that all volunteers, who received the vaccination, are feeling well as no side effects have been observed in them so far. 

Read: EU, CureVac Conclude Talks For 225 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses

According to reports, 57 volunteers received the vaccination in the first phase of trials, while 43 received in placebo, meaning they were not given the real vaccine but were convinced into thinking that they were given the treatment in order to test whether the effects produced by the drug might be related to psychological processes. Media reports suggest that Russia will complete the clinical trials of the EpiVacCorona vaccine by September. According to reports, the vaccine triggers an immune response after double inoculation between 14-21 days, but so far only one patient has received the drug twice.  

Read: Coronavirus Vaccine: Progress Going Well On Indigenous Candidates, Says Centre

Sputnik V

On August 11, Russia announced that it had become the first country to develop a vaccine and authorise it for public use, but experts from across the world doubt the safety of the drug as it has not yet completed advanced trials on humans. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that Russia's vaccine is not part of the list of nine candidates in advanced stages of testing because the country had failed to provide sufficient evidence to the global health body for it to make any judgement on the drug. Russia on August 20 announced that it will test Sputnik V on 40,000 people adding that it will be monitored by foreign research body. Russia had smartly named the drug 'Sputnik V' after the world's first artificial satellite launched by the country during the cold-war era in order to equate the COVID-19 vaccine race to the space race between the US and USSR. 

Read: WHO Says Russia's COVID-19 Vaccine Sputnik V Yet To Complete Advanced Trials

Read: Russia To Test Its COVID-19 Vaccine 'Sputnik V' On 40,000 People Next Week