German Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Wednesday that safety and efficiency should be prioritized over speed after Russia registered the world's first COVID-19 vaccine
BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th August, 2020) German Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Wednesday that safety and efficiency should be prioritized over speed after Russia registered the world's first COVID-19 vaccine.
Russia's vaccine, developed jointly by the Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian Defense Ministry, was named Sputnik V and registered on Tuesday.
"I am rather skeptical about what is happening in Russia. I would be glad if we had the first good vaccine, but based on everything that we know, the main problem is that Russian colleagues do not give us access to the information, this [the vaccine] has not been tested enough," Spahn told the DLF radio station.
Spahn added that the absence of phase 3 trials, which involve vaccinating thousands of volunteers, makes giving the Russian vaccine to millions "or even billions" of people dangerous.
"This is not about being the first [vaccine manufacturer], it is about having an effective, tested and safe vaccine," the German health minister said.
Clinical trials of the Gamaleya vaccine began on June 18 at two institutions � the Burdenko Main Military Clinical Hospital and the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University � and included two groups of 38 volunteers at each facility. Trial participants at the military hospital received a liquid form of the vaccine via intramuscular injection, while volunteers at the Sechenov University received a lyophilized, or freeze-dried, form of the vaccine also via intramuscular injection. All of the participants developed an immunity.
The third stage of the clinical trials with some 2,000 participants begins on Wednesday. The Russian health ministry will have the right to revoke the vaccine's permit, according to Gamaleya.
Russia has said that it was ready to cooperate in vaccine development with other countries.
