COVID-19 vaccine: Questions arise on Russia's First Coronavirus Vaccine
Updated: August 12, 2020 09:55 PM IST
Russia claimed that it has developed world's first coronavirus vaccine. Responding with scepticism to Russia's approval of a COVID-19 vaccine, several scientists around the world, including in India, suggest it hasn't been tested properly given the time constraint and there may not be enough evidence to prove its efficacy. Announcing the 'breakthrough' on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin vouched for the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, named Sputnik V, and said one of his daughters has already received a shot. While the country hopes to start mass-producing the coronavirus vaccine by October and plans to offer the first doses to essential workers, many in the science community seem unimpressed. The announcement should be taken ?with a pinch of salt, said Indian immunologist Vineeta Bal. "Unless some data are out in the open for people to see, including clinical trial phases and numbers, it is hard to believe that coronavirus vaccine efficacy studies are successfully conducted between June 2020 and August 2020," Bal, an immunologist from the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research in Pune, told PTI.
