Russia Aims To Approve 'World's First Covid-19 Vaccine' Before 10 August: Report

Russia is likely to approve its Coronavirus vaccine for public use in less than two weeks, making it the first country in the world to launch a vaccine against the deadly virus that has killed over 6.5 lakh people globally.

The Russian Covid-19 vaccine, which has been developed by the Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute, is likely to be approved on or before 10 August, reports CNN.

The vaccine uses human adenovirus vectors that have been made weaker so they do not replicate in the body.

The vaccine will be approved for public use, with frontline healthcare workers getting it first, CNN quoted Russian officials as saying.

However, according to the report, there are concerns about the safety and effectivenes of the vaccine as unlike other front-runner vaccine candidates from US-based Moderna and Oxford which are in the third phase of human trials, the Russian vaccine candidate is yet to complete its second phase of testing.

The Russian vaccine developers are planning to complete second phase by 3 August, and will then conduct the third phase of testing in parallel with the vaccination of the medical workers.

Russia's push for a vaccine reportedly comes amid political pressure from the Kremlin, which is keen to potray Russia as a global scientific force.

Russians scientists, however, said that the quick developement of the vaccine became possible as it was a modified verion of one already developed to fight against other diseases.

According to the Russia's defence ministry, the Russian soldiers served as the volunteers in the human trials.

The Russian officials further said that the vaccine was being fast-tracked because of the global pandemic and Russia's own severe Covid-19 problem.