Russian claim on COVID-19 vaccine without full trial data raises alarm bells among scientists

Russia on Tuesday announced the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine, an announcement that has raised alarms in the scientific community as global health experts are finding it hard to trust the claims in the absence of full trial data.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the vaccine was registered on Tuesday and declared it safe.

The vaccine has been registered as Sputnik V and one of Putin's daughters has already been given a shot of the COVID-19 vaccination, reports from state media said.

"As far as I know, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection was registered this morning," Putin was quoted as saying at a meeting.

"I hope we will be able to start mass production of this medication in the near future, which is very important," Putin said.

"I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks," he said on state television.

However, large-scale trials of the vaccine are yet to be conducted which would provide data on whether it works.

According to a report by Reuters, immunologists and infectious disease experts say the step by Russia to claim the first spot in the global race to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 could be a "reckless" step.

The report quoted Francois Balloux, an expert at University College London`s Genetics Institute, who called it "a reckless and foolish decision".

"Mass vaccination with an improperly tested vaccine is unethical. Any problem with the Russian vaccination campaign would be disastrous both through its negative effects on health, but also because it would further set back the acceptance of vaccines in the population,” Balloux was quoted as saying by Reuters.

In India, All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi Director Dr Randeep Guleria said there was a need to assess the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine developed by Russia if it is successful.

"If Russia`s vaccine is successful, then we will have to see critically whether it is safe and effective. There should not be any side effects of the vaccine and it should provide good immunity and protection. India has the capacity for mass production of vaccine," Dr Guleria told ANI.

The Health Ministry said earlier in the day that the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration will meet tomorrow.

"Government has constituted the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration which will meet tomorrow. Their terms of reference constitute all matters related to logistics of vaccines, ways to address issues of equity etc," Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said at a media briefing.

He was asked if the government was planning for a tie-up with Russia for the vaccine developed by it. "This expert group will continue its engagement with all state governments and vaccine manufacturers in India," Bhushan said. Countries are racing against time to develop a vaccine against coronavirus since its outbreak.

The disease has killed over 7.37 lakh people in the world.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), two indigenous vaccines are in the stage of human trials. The vaccine candidate developed by Bharat Biotech International in collaboration with ICMR is in phase one and phase two trials as is vaccine candidate developed by Zydus Cadila. Serum Institute of India has got permission for phase two and three human trials of vaccine developed by Oxford University.