The Russian Ministry of Health is negotiating the completion of the procedure for including the domestic vaccine against COVID-19 Sputnik V in the list of drugs approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) for use in emergency situations. This was announced on April 18 by the Minister of Health of Russia Mikhail Murashko.
“We are also in talks with the World Health Organization to complete the listing of WHO drugs approved for use in public health emergencies,” Murashko said during a special meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council “Vaccine for All”.
On April 12, it was reported that WHO intends to test the production of the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in May and June. The date of the safety assessment of the drug will be determined no earlier than June, when all additional information will be received and all inspections will be carried out.
On March 26, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow is awaiting the completion of registration of the Russian vaccine against the Sputnik V coronavirus with WHO and the European Union.
The first COVID-19 vaccine in Russia and the world was registered on August 11, 2020. Sputnik V was developed by specialists from the Gamaleya Center.
According to information published in February by the medical journal The Lancet, according to the results of the third phase of clinical trials of this vaccine, its effectiveness was 91.6% after analyzing data from more than 19 thousand volunteers, in relation to severe cases of COVID-19 – 100%.