Russian health minister calls foreign criticism of ‘Sputnik V’ vaccine ‘groundless’
Russia has prompted global disquiet among researchers after announcing that it has become the first country in the world to approve a Covid-19 vaccine for use.
Research teams in the US, Europe, China and beyond are all racing to develop vaccines against the coronavirus, but Russia’s first has many raising concerns about potential side-effects and other problems that may have been missed in the rush to its development.
Called Sputnik V, the vaccine was created at the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry and underwent testing in June and July before being approved on 11 August, say Russian authorities.
“Without the data on this vaccine being released, it is impossible to assess its efficacy or safety–even in early testing,” said Mike Turner, head of major science investments at the Wellcome Trust charity.
“Speed should not compromise safety,” he added.
A number of researchers have expressed concerns that the vaccine does not appear to have undergone the Phase 3 trials normally used to assess whether they actually work.
“This is a reckless and foolish decision,” said Francois Balloux of University College London. Problems with the vaccine would be “disastrous” and damage both health and the general acceptance of vaccination, he said.
In the US, Anthony Fauci, the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told a National Geographic event that “I hope that the Russians have actually definitively proven that the vaccine is safe and effective. I seriously doubt that they’ve done that.”
Authorities have also been cautious. German Health Minister Jens Spahn said he was “very sceptical about what’s going on in Russia”, according to media reports.
Russian health minister Mikhail Murashko defended the vaccine, downplaying concerns in an August 12 press briefing.
“Some foreign colleagues, who must have felt certain competition and competitive edges of Russia’s product, have been trying to express opinions that we find totally groundless,” he said.