RUSSIA IS reportedly preparing a mass vaccination campaign against Covid-19, following the completion of clinical trials for a new vaccine.
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko confirmed to Interfax news agency that scientists at a state research facility in Moscow had completed the trials.
Researchers at the Gamaleya Institute are now in the process of completing the paperwork and registering the vaccine before a campaign of mass immunisation can begin.
The drug is said to be an adenovirus-based vaccine which works by administering individuals with a gene from SARS SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, into the body.
Cells then read it and make coronavirus spike proteins, with the idea being to trick the body into believing it has already been infected.
These self-made spike proteins then theoretically train the body to detect and terminate any real SARS-CoV-2 infections before the virus takes hold.
According to the report, Mr. Murashko said the plan is for doctors and teachers to be among the first to receive the new vaccine.
“We plan wider vaccinations for October,” Murashko said.
Reuters previously reported that the vaccine is set to secure local regulatory approval in August with it then administered to health workers soon thereafter.
The speed at which the vaccine has been developed has sparked concern in some circles over its safety.
An Oxford University research team headed up by Irish scientist Professor Adrian Hill is also working on a vaccine.
He has previously indicated that, if safe and effective, the drug could be available from anywhere between September and October.
