The Russian coronavirus vaccine was registered in the State Register of Medicines of the Russian Federation on August 11, 2020. The vaccine was developed at Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow and was named Sputnik V.
Director General of Almazov Centre, Academician of the RAS Evgeny Shlyakhto noted that the creation of the first Russian coronavirus vaccine suggests that the virus can be defeated in the future.
The academician added that an already proven platform was used to create the vaccine. Therefore, it can be considered as safe and effective and able to induce a long-term immune response.
Sputnik V (Gam-Covid-Vac) is a viral vector vaccine. Such vaccines are obtained by using genetic engineering, where attenuated viruses or bacteria are used as a carrier vector to introduce fragments of the genome of another pathogen for immune response. In this case, it is COVID-19.
It was announced that in the second half of August the vaccine will be made available to healthcare facilities. This year, people at increased occupational risk of infection will be vaccinated, primarily doctors and teachers.