JRL NEWSWATCH: “Industry Body Calls Russian Covid-19 Vaccine a Pandora’s Box” – Bloomberg/ Ilya Arkhipov, Jake Rudnitsky
“Russia’s race to allow civilian use of a … coronavirus vaccine before clinical trials are complete could put people at risk, according to a local association of multinational pharmaceutical companies[, the Association of Clinical Trials Organizations (ACTO) … represent[ing] … multinational companies with clinical trials in Russia, including Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Novartis AG]. The government plans to give a vaccine developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute conditional registration as early as this week, which would open the door to civilian use. … [L]ess than 100 people … officially received the inoculation … by early August … [I]ts widespread use could be dangerous, [ACTO] said in a letter … to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko …. [WHO] spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told reporters … that vaccines should go through all stages of testing before being licensed. … “