Russian Health Authorities Request WHO Vaccine Certification for Sputnik V Vaccine

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Russian health authorities announced that they have requested vaccine certification from the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Russian state-owned Gamaleya Research Institute. Russian authorities claim that the vaccine's immunity effectiveness reaches 92%, but it has not yet been internationally recognized.

According to Russia's TASS news agency on the 19th (local time), Russian health authorities officially submitted a vaccine certification request to the WHO for the Sputnik V vaccine developed by the state-owned Gamaleya Research Institute. Russian authorities stated that the vaccine's immunity effectiveness is 92%, comparable to the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna in the United States, but it has not yet gained international credibility.

The vaccine was approved by Russian authorities without undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials, which are still ongoing. Russian health authorities previously announced that since the vaccine's approval in September, Phase 3 clinical trials have been conducted on 40,000 Moscow residents. Criticism has been raised about conducting clinical trials on their own citizens, significantly undermining the vaccine's credibility.

On the same day, Russian health authorities stated, "The WHO has not yet announced approval for Sputnik V because all vaccines must first pass the Emergency Use Listing evaluation system. Russian health authorities have approved the Sputnik V vaccine manufacturer, and the WHO headquarters will soon apply it as well."

Earlier, on August 11, Russian health authorities became the first in the world to approve the use of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine developed by the state-owned Gamaleya Research Institute. The vaccine was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center, an epidemiology and microbiology research institution under the Russian Ministry of Health, and passed Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials between June and July. The vaccine was developed based on a human adenovirus vector, which has already been used in several vaccines such as the flu vaccine.

After approving the vaccine, the Russian Ministry of Health announced that the Sputnik V vaccine could provide immunity against COVID-19 for up to two years. Russian President Vladimir Putin also revealed that his daughter was registered as a volunteer for the vaccine's clinical trials and is healthy. However, other countries consider that Russian authorities approved the vaccine without proper clinical trial verification, so the vaccine's efficacy has not been internationally proven.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.