Russia Covid Vaccine: What you need to know about ‘Sputnik V’ vaccine wey President Putin approve

A scientist prepares samples during the research and development of a vaccine against coronavirus in Saint Petersburg, Russia

Reuters
President Putin tok say na regulators approve di Covid-19 vaccine

Russian President Vladimir Putin announce say one vaccine wey dem develop locally for Covid-19 don get regulatory approval afta less than two months wey dem test am on humans.

President Putin say dis vaccine wey dem name ‘Sputnik V’ in relation to di world first satelite, don pass all di required checks and add say e dey “quite effective” but e no give more details.

Russia dey see dis vaccine approval as success as dem go be di first kontri to approve vaccine for coronavirus.

Wetin we know about Russia ‘Sputnik V’ corona vaccine

Last week, Russian goment announce say dem dey prepare to begin mass vaccinations against coronavirus for October.

Russian scientists tok say early-stage trials of di vaccine don dey complete and di results na success.

A news conference at the Science and Practice Center for Interventional Cardioangiology in Moscow, Russia, 15 July 2020

EPA
For July Russian scientists announce say early-stage trials of one vaccine develop by di Gamaleya Institute hdon dey complete

Di Russian vaccine use adapted strains of di adenovirus, one virus wey dey usually cause di common cold, to trigger immune response.

But di vaccine approval by Russian regulators happun before dem complete di ogbonge study wey suppose involve thousands of pipo, wey dem call di phase-three trial. Experts dey consider dis phase as important part of di testing process.

Upon dis, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko tok on Tuesday say di vaccine don “prove to dey highly effective and safe”, e hail di vaccine discovery as big step toward “humankind victory” ova Covid-19.

Presently Russian vaccine no dey among World Health Organization (WHO) list of six vaccines wey don reach phase three clinical trials, wey involve more widespread testing in humans.

Wetin President Putin tok about di ‘Sputnik V’ Vaccine

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Reuters
President Putin tok say one of im daughters don take di vaccine against di virus

President Putin say di vaccine wey Moscow Gamaleya Institute develop, go give “sustainable immunity” against coronavirus.

E say dem don use dis new vaccine treat one of im daughters and she don dey well.

“Di vaccine dey create stable antibody and cellular immunity, and I know dis very well, because one of my daughters don take dis kain injection.”

Di president say afta im daughter first injection, her temperature go up to 38C (100F) before e fall to 37C. “And dat na all. Afta di second injection, her temperature also rise small, but then vanish, and she feel well.”

E dey rare for Putin to mention im daughters because e dey always guard im family privacy, and e don first refuse to give informate about di lives of im daughters, plus e no gree confam media report wey say dia names na Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova.

But with di mention of im own daughter for dis mata, e show how serious Russia wan convince di world say dia vaccine dey safe and dey work.

Reactions all ova di world on top dis Russia Vaccine

Di speed wey Russia dey move to roll out di vaccine don cause some international scientists to question weda Moscow dey put national prestige before solid science and safety.

Health officials, scientist and media outlets for US and Europe dey concern about di way Russia say di Vaccine na success.

Dem dey fear say Russia fit dey cut corners in order for dem to win wetin some officials don liken to di space race wey di Soviet Union and US contest during di Cold War.

Last month, America ogbonge infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci tok about im doubt concerning di testing process to quick-quick bring out vaccine for Russia and China.

WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier also mention di same concern, im tell reporters on 4 August say: “Sometimes individual researchers claim say dem don find something, which is of course na great news.

“But big difference dey between finding or getting clue of maybe vaccine wey go work, and to go through all di stages.”

Sake of dis concern World Health Organization (WHO) advise Russia last week to follow international guidelines for producing vaccine against Covid-19.

On Tuesday, WHO say dem don dey do tok-tok with Russian authorities about doing review of di vaccine.