“Russia has rejected international criticism and skepticism toward its coronavirus vaccine, saying that it’s safe and that it works” CNBC reports.
“Russia announced Tuesday that its vaccine had been approved by its health regulators, making it the first coronavirus vaccine in the world to be registered. Full-scale production is due to start next month. Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted it was safe and effective and that one of his daughters had already received the vaccine. The news attracted widespread criticism and concern as to its safety and efficacy. It has only undergone rapid Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials on a small number of people and no data from these has yet been published. Phase 3 trials are to begin shortly yet Russia expects to start producing the vaccine in September. Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said Wednesday that allegations that the vaccine was unsafe were groundless and driven by competition, Interfax news agency reported. Kirill Dmitriev, the chief executive of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund RDIF, which is backing the vaccine named ‘Sputnik V,’ said that Western — and specifically U.S. — criticism of the vaccine was biased.”