Russia’s coronavirus vaccine ‘could worsen pandemic’
Large-scale immunisation prior to phase 3 trials could cause more harm than good, scientists warn
The international science community has warned that Russia’s expedited approval of a vaccine to curb COVID-19 could worsen the pandemic and undermine public trust in vaccines.
Overnight, President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had become the first country to approve and register a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 after just two months of human studies.
The adenovirus vector-based vaccine, dubbed Sputnik V, was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow.
Although phase 1 and 2 trials among 76 participants were completed on 1 August, scientific data are yet to be published, drawing condemnation from the international research community.
