Moscow — Russian President Vladimir Putin says a coronavirus vaccine developed in the country has been registered for use and one of his daughters has already been inoculated.
Speaking at a government meeting on state television Tuesday, Putin emphasized that the vaccine has proven efficient during tests and offers a lasting immunity from the coronavirus.
“I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks,” the Reuters news agency quotes him as saying.
He said one of his two daughters has received a shot of the vaccine and is feeling well.
Russian authorities have said medical workers, teachers and other risk groups will be the first to be inoculated.
Russia is the first country to register a coronavirus vaccine.
Many scientists there and abroad have been skeptical, however, questioning the decision to register the vaccine before Phase 3 trials that normally last for months and involve thousands of people.
Russia’s rapid pace “highlights its determination to win the global race” for a vaccine but “has stirred concerns that it may be putting national prestige before science and safety,” Reuters points out.
The vaccine was developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute after less than two months of human testing, Reuters reports.