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By Lev Sergeev and Peter Scott
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia said Wednesday that the first batch of the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine would be deployed within two weeks and discarded as “baseless” protection considerations expressed by some experts about Moscow’s immediate approval of the drug.
The vaccine, called “Sputnik V” in homage to the world’s first satellite introduced through the Soviet Union in 1957, has yet finished its final testing and some scientists have expressed fear that Moscow will put national prestige first to security.
“It turns out that our foreign colleagues are feeling the explicit competitive benefits of Russian drugs and expect explicit reviews that, in our view, are completely unfounded,” Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said the day after President Vladimir Putin announced regulatory approval.
On the streets of Moscow, some Russians said they would be too afraid to check the vaccine, while others agreed with their government that skepticism expressed through foreign experts was motivated by jealousy.
“I don’t accept as true with Russian vaccines in general, in fact, I probably wouldn’t get vaccinated,” said Ekaterina Sabadash, 36, speaking outdoors at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
Alexander, a photographer, also suspects. “Until I go through clinical trials (final) and get test results shown, I’d be afraid to do so,” he said.
Others said they understood why Russia was in a hurry to get a new vaccine and trusted it, but they doubted they had anything to say about the possibility of having it.
“I’m an instructor and they’ll want us to make it,” said Irina Fashchevskaya, a Moscow resident. “We’ll have to.”
Officials said the vaccine, developed through the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow, would be given to people, adding doctors, voluntarily, the final trial. The massive deployment in Russia is expected to begin in October.
Scientists from Germany, the United States and Britain questioned the wisdom of approving the vaccine before the tests were completed, saying it was dangerous to safety.
Kirill Dmitriev, director of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund RDIF, spoke of a data war opposed to his country, an affirmation that uncovers Russians tired of what they see as years of Western condescension.
Mikhail Mechyov, a 42-year-old Moscow resident, said he saw Western warnings of jealousy.
“It’s herbal to be careful, yet your goal is to belittle our country’s achievements,” he said. “I think a lot has been done and it’s wonderful that there’s a vaccine.”
RUSSE WARNING
The Moscow-based Association of Clinical Trials Organizations (ACTO), a trade body representing the world’s top drugmakers in Russia, had urged the health ministry to postpone the vaccine’s approval until the final trial had been completed.
“It’s ambition, the preference to be the first in a domain where, unfortunately, Russia is competing for the most sensible place,” CEO Svetlana Zavidova told Reuters.
“Our task now is to warn the public because so far we perceive how they (the authorities) will carry out mass vaccination.”
Final trials, usually conducted on thousands of participants, are considered essential for protection and effectiveness. Only about 10% of clinical trials are successful.
The Philippines and Kazakhstan have expressed interest in the vaccine, while a senior World Health Organization official said he had obtained enough data to compare it.
Roman, a taxi driving force in the Vladimir region, invoked a conspiracy theory as to why he would avoid it.
“It’s all about a global plan to put microchips into people being pushed by Bill Gates. I have zero trust,” he said.
Heidi Larson, who runs the Vaccine Confidence Project (VCP), a vaccine confidence monitoring program, said she feared Russia’s haste would further undermine public confidence.
A survey in 19 countries, conducted through VCP and commercial components of CONVINCE, a US/British initiative funded as a component through the government, shows that Russians were the least safe vaccines of themselves.
Putin, who said the vaccine had already been given to one of his daughters without any problems, and a number of other officials insisted it was safe.
(Additional report through Alexander Reshetnikov in Moscow and Kate Kelland in London; written through Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber / Andrew Osborn; edited through Philippa Fletcher)