Russia registers third vaccine against coronavirus

20 February 2021

 

The Ministry of Health has registered a COVID-19 vaccine, CoviVac, created at the Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This was announced by the Chairman of the Government Mikhail Mishustin.


According to him, the first 120 thousand doses of the product will be publicly available in the middle of March. The developer is also planning to enter international markets.


CoviVac is not only the third drug after Sputnik V and EpiVacCorona but also the third of its kind. It was developed based on a whole inactivated (sometimes said "killed") coronavirus. When injected, the body recognizes the antigenic composition of the virus, remembers it and should be ready for all its manifestations in the future.


According to RAS Corresponding Member Aidar Ishmukhametov, Director of the Chumakov Center, CoviVac will also be effective against mutated strains because it uses the whole virus, not fragments of its genome.
Clinical trials began in early October and so far no adverse events have been detected. Soon, the second phase will be completed, and then the tests will be carried out on three thousand volunteers.


Now in Russia, it is possible to be vaccinated against coronavirus with Sputnik V vaccine developed by Gamaleya Center together with the RDIF. This drug became the first registered COVID-19 vaccine in the world.


In addition, in October the Ministry of Health registered another vaccine, EpiVacCorona, developed by the Novosibirsk Center Vector.

 

GSV "Russia - Islamic World"

Photo: Creative Commons

Based on materials from RIA Novosti