Coronavirus: Putin announces the arrival of Sputnik, the first vaccine against the coronavirus

Sylvie Claire / August 12, 2020

Russia has developed the "first" vaccine against the coronavirus, the Russian president said on Tuesday during a video conference with members of the government broadcast on television, assuring that it gave "lasting immunity ».

This morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was recorded, "said Vladimir Putin, adding:" I know that it is quite effective, that it gives lasting immunity « .

His daughter would have tested him

The president even claimed that one of his daughters had been inoculated with the vaccine. "She participated in the experiment," he said, claiming that she had had a bit of a temperature, "and that's it."

This vaccine will be put into circulation on January 1, 2021, according to the National Medicines Register of the Ministry of Health, consulted by Russian news agencies.

Russia had ensured in recent weeks the upcoming production of thousands of doses of vaccines against the new coronavirus and "several million" from the beginning of next year.

The World Health Organization reacted by advocating for compliance with the protocols and regulations in force in the development of an anti-Covid-19 vaccine.

Russia has been working for months, like many other countries in the world, on several vaccine projects against Covid-19. The one developed by the Gamaleïa center is in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense.

Sputnik like the satellite

This vaccine against the coronavirus developed by Russia was called "Sputnik V" (V for vaccine, editor's note), in reference to the Soviet satellite, the first spacecraft to be put into orbit, said the president of the sovereign wealth fund, involved in its development.

"More than a billion doses" have been pre-ordered by 20 foreign countries, Kirill Dmitriev said, adding that phase 3 of the trials began on Wednesday. The sovereign wealth fund said the start of industrial production was scheduled for September.