RUSSIALINK: “First Russian Covid-19 vaccine proves efficacious, safe – Health Minister Murashko

Medical Symbol with Pole, Serpents, Wings, adapted from image at lanl.gov

MOSCOW. July 22 (Interfax) – While the first Russian coronavirus vaccine has proven to be an efficacious and safe medication judging by the clinical trials that have been conducted, the Health Ministry will continue to collect information on its tolerability even after its registration, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said.

“We see there is efficacy, and its safety has also been confirmed, but as always happens, the more people are involved, the more data we get. Therefore, work with the population and work with big data are among the requirements we have formulated and set for post-registration monitoring,” Murashko said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 (VGTRK) television channel at the State Duma on Wednesday.

The vaccine will be manufactured on the condition that, in parallel with its use, data on its efficacy, safety, and some other indicators will continue to be collected and accumulated using electronic resources, he said.

Asked when the first Covid-19 vaccine would be available, Murashko said it could be granted a registration certificate in early August. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said in a report at the State Duma earlier on Wednesday that Russia should have a first vaccine by the fall.

Another Russian coronavirus vaccine has passed ethical committee procedures and obtained the Health Ministry’s approval for beginning clinical trials, Murashko said.

“Another vaccine has passed the ethnical committee and obtained approval today, […] and its clinical trials are about to begin,” Murashko said, without specifying what vaccine he was mentioning.

Earlier reports said a vaccine developed by the Vector state research center of the Russian Federal Service for Health and Consumer Rights (Rospotrebnadzor) would soon be ready for trials. Murashko said on July 17 that Vector’s vaccine could be given clearance for clinical trials in two or three weeks. Mishustin said in his report at the Duma that a vaccine developed by the Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera was also nearly ready for clinical trials.

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