German Health Minister Jens Spahn said Wednesday that the Russian COVID-19 vaccine had not been sufficiently tested, adding that the purpose was to have a product rather than being the first to start vaccinating people.
President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that Russia was the first country to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing.
Moscow’s resolve to grant approval before the final trials end has raised considerations among some experts.
“It can be harmful to start vaccinating millions or even billions of other people too soon, because it may almost cancel acceptance of vaccination in case of a problem, so I’m very skeptical about what’s in Russia,” Spahn said.the Locutor Deutschlandfunk radio station.
“I’d be happy if we had a first smart vaccine based on everything we know, and that’s the basic problem, which is that the Russians don’t tell us much, it hasn’t been tested enough,” he added.
Spahn said it was crucial, including a pandemic, conducting proper studies and testing and making public the effects of giving other people confidence in the vaccine.
“It’s not about being the first one in one way or another, it’s about having an effective, proven vaccine, and therefore,” he said when asked about the Russian vaccine, which will be called “Sputnik V” in homage to the world’s first vaccine.satellite introduced through the Soviet Union.
Only about 10% of clinical trials are a success and some scientists fear that Moscow will put national prestige first to safety.
Putin and other officials said it’s absolutely safe. Government officials said it will be administered to medical staff and then to teachers voluntarily no later than this month or early September.The massive deployment in Russia is expected to begin in October.
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