Russia approves a third Covid-19 vaccine, CoviVac

Russia approves a third Covid-19 vaccine, CoviVac

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.Comments Read Next48 mins agoKuwait: Travelers from high-risk countries to quarantine for 14 days2 hours agoUAE: Up to Dh250,000 fine for schools violating Covid-19 measures2 hours agoSaudi Arabia announces 325 new Covid-19 cases, 3 deaths3 hours agoUAE reports 3,158 new COVID-19 cases, 15 deaths7 hours agoPfizer seeks to store vaccine at higher temperatures8 hours agoUAE: Travel agency shut for arranging COVID-19 tests on WhatsApp8