News
Latest News
news bulletin
Breaking Headlines
Israel-Gaza War Updates
Variety and Tech
Sports News
Middle East News
World News
Lebanon News
Press Highlights
Lebanon Economy
News Bulletin Reports
Other News
Breaking Headlines
Israel-Gaza War Updates
Variety and Tech
Sports News
Middle East News
World News
Lebanon News
Press Highlights
Lebanon Economy
News Bulletin Reports
Beirut
28
o
Bekaa
29
o
Keserwan
28
o
Metn
28
o
Mount Lebanon
26
o
North
30
o
South
27
o
Live
Video
Audio
Schedule
shows
العربية
watching now
Nharkom Said
SUBSCRIBE
Home
Notification
Live
Video
Audio
shows
Beirut
28
o
Bekaa
29
o
Keserwan
28
o
Metn
28
o
Mount Lebanon
26
o
North
30
o
South
27
o
News
Programs
The News
Breaking Headlines
Israel-Gaza War Updates
Variety and Tech
Sports News
Middle East News
World News
Lebanon News
Press Highlights
Lebanon Economy
News Bulletin Reports
Programs
Series
Movies
Documentaries
Variety
Comedy
Talk Show
News Bulletin
Sports
Breaking News
Latest News
Highlighted News
Most Read
Videos
العربية
Watch the latest programs and the latest developments on your favorite screen
Shows
Join millions of followers
Who We Are
Contact Us
Advertise With Us
Careers
Channel frequencies
Privacy Policy
Terms and Conditions
Russia becomes first country to approve a COVID-19 vaccine, says Putin
Middle East
11-08-2020 | 07:14
High views
Share
Share
5
min
Russia becomes first country to approve a COVID-19 vaccine, says Putin
President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had become the first country in the world to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing, a move hailed by Moscow as evidence of its scientific prowess.
The vaccine still has to complete final trials, raising concerns among some experts at the speed of its approval, but the Russian business conglomerate Sistema has said it expects to put it into mass production by the end of the year.
Russian health workers treating COVID-19 patients will be offered the chance of volunteering to be vaccinated in the coming weeks, a source told Reuters last month.
Regulatory approval paves the way for the mass inoculation of the Russian population and authorities hope it will allow the economy, which has been battered by fallout from the virus, to return to full capacity.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, hailed the development as a historic "Sputnik moment", comparable to the Soviet Union's 1957 launch of Sputnik 1, the world's first satellite.
The vaccine will be marketed under the name 'Sputnik V' on foreign markets, he said. State media have trumpeted the news.
But the speed at which Russia has moved, approving a vaccine before the final stages of clinical trials to test safety and efficacy are over, has worried some scientists, who fear Moscow may be putting national prestige before safety.
Speaking at a government meeting on state television, Putin dismissed those concerns, saying the vaccine, developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute, was safe and that it had even been administered to one of his daughters.
"I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks," said Putin.
He said he hoped mass production would start soon.
PHASE III TRIAL
The vaccine's approval by the health ministry comes before the start of a larger trial involving thousands of participants, commonly known as a Phase III trial.
Such trials, which require a certain rate of participants catching the virus to observe the vaccine's effect, are normally considered essential precursors for a vaccine to receive regulatory approval.
The Moscow-based Association of Clinical Trials Organizations (ACTO), a trade body representing the world's top drugmakers in Russia this week urged the health ministry to postpone approval until that final trial had been successfully completed.
In a letter to the ministry, it said there were high risks associated with registering a drug before that happened.
"It is during this phase that the main evidence of a vaccine's efficacy is collected, as well as information on adverse reactions that could appear in certain groups of patients: people with weakened immunity, people with concomitant diseases and so forth," it said.
Some international experts have also questioned the speed at which Russia approved its vaccine.
"Normally you need a large number of people to be tested before you approve a vaccine," said Peter Kremsner from the University Hospital in Tuebingen, currently testing CureVac's COVID-19 vaccine in clinical trials.
"In that respect, I think it's reckless to do that (approve it) if lots of people haven't already been tested."
Duncan Matthews, a professor of intellectual property law at Queen Mary University of London, said news of a potential COVID-19 vaccine was to be welcomed, "but safety must be the priority".
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have fast-track approval procedures for emergency humanitarian use and we need to see evidence that Russia is adopting an equally prudent approach," Matthews said in an emailed comment.
More than 100 possible vaccines are being developed around the world to try to stop the COVID-19 pandemic. At least four are in final Phase III human trials, according to WHO data.
REUTERS
Breaking Headlines
Russia
Coronavirus
Putin
Vaccine
Subscribe to our VOD
SUBSCRIBE
Our visitors readings
d-none hideMe
0
World News
2025-05-03
Magnitude 6.0 quake hits Indonesia's Sulawesi region, no tsunami potential—Geophysics Agency
World News
2025-05-03
Magnitude 6.0 quake hits Indonesia's Sulawesi region, no tsunami potential—Geophysics Agency
0
Lebanon Economy
2025-06-18
BDL raises withdrawal limits under Circulars 158 and 166
Lebanon Economy
2025-06-18
BDL raises withdrawal limits under Circulars 158 and 166
0
News Bulletin Reports
2025-06-27
Lebanon scrambles to finalize response to US plan on Hezbollah arms and border deal — here’s what we know
News Bulletin Reports
2025-06-27
Lebanon scrambles to finalize response to US plan on Hezbollah arms and border deal — here’s what we know
0
News Bulletin Reports
2025-06-06
Eid al-Adha under fire: Israel's Beirut strikes seen as signal to Washington
News Bulletin Reports
2025-06-06
Eid al-Adha under fire: Israel's Beirut strikes seen as signal to Washington
Videos
d-none hideMe
0
Lebanon News
2025-07-01
Massive fire erupts at unregulated dumpsite in Bchannine, Zgharta district
Lebanon News
2025-07-01
Massive fire erupts at unregulated dumpsite in Bchannine, Zgharta district
0
Lebanon News
2025-06-10
Clash between Lebanese Army and residents of Deir Qanoun Al Nahr results in injuries (Video)
Lebanon News
2025-06-10
Clash between Lebanese Army and residents of Deir Qanoun Al Nahr results in injuries (Video)
0
Lebanon News
2025-06-04
Mexico dedicates garden around Lebanese Emigrant Statue in Beirut to mark 80 years of diplomatic ties
Lebanon News
2025-06-04
Mexico dedicates garden around Lebanese Emigrant Statue in Beirut to mark 80 years of diplomatic ties
0
Lebanon News
2025-05-19
President Aoun to seek Egyptian support for Lebanese Army in detecting explosives and tunnels
Lebanon News
2025-05-19
President Aoun to seek Egyptian support for Lebanese Army in detecting explosives and tunnels
0
Lebanon News
2025-05-15
LBCI Exclusive: US steps up pressure on Hezbollah, Morgan Ortagus details sanctions and vision for Lebanon's future
Lebanon News
2025-05-15
LBCI Exclusive: US steps up pressure on Hezbollah, Morgan Ortagus details sanctions and vision for Lebanon's future
0
Lebanon News
2025-05-11
Kuwait rolls out official welcome for Lebanon's President Aoun – video
Lebanon News
2025-05-11
Kuwait rolls out official welcome for Lebanon's President Aoun – video
0
Lebanon News
2025-05-11
Security incidents temporarily disrupt voting in several Akkar and Minieh-Danniyeh centers
Lebanon News
2025-05-11
Security incidents temporarily disrupt voting in several Akkar and Minieh-Danniyeh centers
0
News Bulletin Reports
2025-05-09
EU ambassador says 'we are not just donors, but genuine partners to Lebanon': Insights from exclusive LBCI interview
News Bulletin Reports
2025-05-09
EU ambassador says 'we are not just donors, but genuine partners to Lebanon': Insights from exclusive LBCI interview
0
Lebanon News
2025-04-23
US envoy Morgan Ortagus hails Lebanese diaspora, says country stands at a crossroads
Lebanon News
2025-04-23
US envoy Morgan Ortagus hails Lebanese diaspora, says country stands at a crossroads
Most read
d-none hideMe
24 hours
7 days
Month
1
News Bulletin Reports
12:55
Syria considers closing its land border: What are the consequences for Lebanon?
News Bulletin Reports
12:55
Syria considers closing its land border: What are the consequences for Lebanon?
2
Middle East News
01:08
Turkish Airlines denies flight cancellations to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan
Middle East News
01:08
Turkish Airlines denies flight cancellations to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan
3
Lebanon News
07:17
Lebanese Army denies claims of militant infiltration and troop withdrawal in Bekaa
Lebanon News
07:17
Lebanese Army denies claims of militant infiltration and troop withdrawal in Bekaa
4
News Bulletin Reports
13:00
Maritime demarcation deal: Beirut prepares to host Cypriot delegation for maritime border talks
News Bulletin Reports
13:00
Maritime demarcation deal: Beirut prepares to host Cypriot delegation for maritime border talks
5
News Bulletin Reports
12:48
Talks advance in Azerbaijan: Israel and Syria prepare for next diplomatic step with draft deal in hand
News Bulletin Reports
12:48
Talks advance in Azerbaijan: Israel and Syria prepare for next diplomatic step with draft deal in hand
6
Middle East News
05:27
Netanyahu says working with Trump on Arab normalization
Middle East News
05:27
Netanyahu says working with Trump on Arab normalization
7
Lebanon News
09:29
MP Ibrahim Moussawi slams US envoy's remarks, calls for official response
Lebanon News
09:29
MP Ibrahim Moussawi slams US envoy's remarks, calls for official response
8
Lebanon News
08:09
Lebanese Army helicopters return from firefighting mission in Syria's Latakia countryside
Lebanon News
08:09
Lebanese Army helicopters return from firefighting mission in Syria's Latakia countryside
Download now the LBCI mobile app
To see the latest news, the latest daily programs in Lebanon and the world
Google Play
App Store
We use
cookies
We use
cookies
to make
your experience on this
website better.
Accept
Learn More