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Russian officials announced today that they will make a COVID-19 vaccine available to its citizens on a voluntary basis, with President Vladimir Putin saying the vaccine has gone through all necessary tests.
The vaccine, developed at by the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow, will first become available to medical workers, teachers and at-risk groups. Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund that funded the vaccine effort, told reporters that tens of thousands of volunteers will receive vaccinations in the coming months, according to The Associated Press.
Experts even in Russia greeted the news with some skepticism, since the vaccine has not gone through a Phase 3 clinical trial in which its safety and effectiveness is evaluated among a large population with a placebo control group.
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