Coronavirus vaccine update: Russia dispatches first batch of Sputnik V vaccine for civilian use

Russia became the first country to approve the public use of a Coronavirus vaccine in the world last month.

Weeks after Russia approved the public use of Coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V, the first batch of the vaccine has been released for civil circulation, news agency ANI reported. In a statement, the Russian health ministry said that the batches of vaccine will also be dispatched to various regions in the near future. The vaccine developed by the Russian state-led drugmaker Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology was approved for public use by the Russian regulatory bodies without the completion of the third and final phase of human trials.

The Russian Health Ministry in a statement said that ‘Gam-COVID-Vac’ (Sputnik V) has passed the necessary quality tests in the Roszdravnadzor laboratory. The ministry also said after passing the quality tests, the first batch of the vaccine has been dispatched for civil circulation. It also said that the vaccine will be soon dispatched to various regions of the country in the nearest future. Previously on Sunday, Mayor of the Russian capital Moscow expressed jubilation and hoped that the residents of the city will be vaccinated against the lethal virus in the upcoming months.

Russia became the first country to approve the public use of a Coronavirus vaccine in the world last month. Health experts from across the world had warned of the adverse consequences of releasing the vaccine for public use even before the completion of the final stage of human trials. In order to instil confidence of the public in the new vaccine, President Vladimir Putin had reportedly got members of his own family vaccinated by the vaccine.

Recently, the Russian Sputnik V vaccine got a shot in the arm after Lancet in a recent study said that the Russian vaccine was safe and produces a decent amount of anti-bodies response against the novel Coronavirus.