Russia on Saturday approved a third coronavirus vaccine for domestic use. The vaccine, labelled CoviVac, is produced by the Chumakov Centre. Large-scale clinical trials have yet to begin.
The CoviVac is a “whole-virion” vaccine. This means it is made of a coronavirus that has been inactivated, or stripped of its ability to replicate.
The advantage, according to virologist Alexander Chepurnov, is that CoviVac includes all elements of the virus, creating a broader immune response that is likely to protect against any variants.
The shot has already been tested for safety on 200 people aged between 18 and 60. It showed no side-effects, including no rise in temperature.
A placebo-controlled, large-scale trial to ascertain effectiveness is due to begin now that the go-ahead has been granted.
The first 120,000 doses will be produced and released to the national inoculation programme in March.
