Russian Vaccine "Sputnik V" Gives Hope of Victory Over Coronavirus

Russian vaccine "Sputnik V"

The number of people infected with coronavirus is growing day by day. Due to the lifting of strict quarantine measures, a deadly infection has penetrated into South Ossetia. The streets are not crowded. People fearfully shake hands with each other, try to maintain social distance in public places.

Meanwhile, in Russia, as in other developed countries, research work is underway to develop anti-coronavirus vaccines.

Despite the numerous sanctions and restrictions imposed on Russia by the largest Western states, at the moment Russia has the most effective scientific and technical research base in the field of combating infectious diseases. This allowed the Russian Ministry of Health at the end of summer to register the world's first vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus infection.

It was developed by NITsEM named after Gamaleya and is produced jointly with the Russian Direct Investment Fund. The vaccine is called "Sputnik V" and involves the introduction of two components of the drug with an interval of three weeks.

Post-registration clinical trials of the coronavirus vaccine began in Moscow on September 7, and the first participants were vaccinated on September 9. In total, 40 thousand volunteers will take part in the study, 10 thousand of them will receive a placebo, this is necessary to test the effectiveness of the vaccine. This phase will end before the end of 2022. Russia plans to release 15 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine per month in the spring.

Alexander Gorelov, deputy director for scientific work of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, said that before vaccination against coronavirus, one should not hide the presence of the disease, since this can lead to unwanted reactions and side effects.

At the same time, after vaccination, a normal individual reaction of the body can be observed, such as a rise in temperature, weakness, redness and pain at the injection site, Gorelov recalled.

Russian Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko said at the congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs that mass vaccination against coronavirus could begin in late November.

"We are planning a more massive delivery of vaccines either in the last days of November or in December," he said.

The minister linked this with the EMM that "quality control of vaccines must be ensured." He said that one of the production sites has already released a batch of the drug for civilian circulation. She is now being tested. In total, four companies began the transfer of technologies for the production of vaccines, Murashko added.

According to him, vaccination against coronavirus will take place taking into account medical indications. In parallel with this stage of research, Russians intend to vaccinate on a voluntary basis. A number of high-ranking officials, including Sergei Sobyanin, have already been vaccinated.

"Now the additional data that we receive will allow us to clearly structure the contingents of people who will be vaccinated with this or that drug," said Russian Health Minister Murashko.

The first series of Sputnik V is being tested to be put into civilian circulation, Murashko said. Post-registration studies and vaccination of risk groups are now being carried out. It is planned to manufacture the drug at four sites.

It should be noted that testing takes place not only in Russia. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced today the start of tests in the republic of the Russian vaccine against coronavirus infection COVID-19 "Sputnik V".

"The Russian vaccine is already in Venezuela, tests have already begun, there are already 2,000 volunteers, we already have them," RIA Novosti quotes the words of the head of the Bolivarian Republic.

Earlier, Maduro, his son and sister expressed a desire to be vaccinated with the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine. On October 2, Venezuelan Executive Vice President Delsi Rodriguez announced that the republic had received the first batch of Russian vaccine against COVID-19. India has also applied for testing the Russian Sputnik V vaccine on its territory.

Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin has officially announced the creation of the second of them. It was developed by scientists of the Novosibirsk center "Vector" and is called "EpiVacCorona" and is intended for the prevention of disease.

In addition, work is underway to create a live vaccine from the Chumakov Center for Research and Development of Immunobiological Preparations of the Russian Academy of Sciences. And now, literally today, on October 15, the head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova announced the registration of the third COVID vaccine in a month. It was developed by the Chumakov Center and contains a whole virus. This vaccine is also undergoing clinical trials with 300 volunteers.

Let's hope that the active work of Russian scientists will help protect humanity from the coronavirus pandemic, and South Ossetia will also receive a tested, reliable drug in a timely manner.

Inal Pliev,

political commentator for IA "Res"

Source: http://cominf.org/node/1166532745