Breakthrough beckons as Russia completes human trial of COVID-19 vaccine

There seems to be a headway in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as Russia has completed the first ever clinical trials of vaccine on humans.

This is even as a report has claimed that the vaccines have proven to be effective among volunteers they were used on.

Announcing the development Monday, the Chief Researcher and Head, Centre for Clinical Research on Medications, Sechenov University, Russia, Elena Smolyarchuk, said those who featured in the human trial will be discharged soon.

He said: 

The research has been completed and it proved that the vaccine is safe. The volunteers will be discharged on July 15 and July 20.

There was no other information on when this vaccine would enter commercial production.

Russia had allowed clinical trials of two forms of a potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology.

The first one was carried out at the Burdenko Military Hospital, while the other vaccine was given to COVID-19 patients at the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University.

He explained that: 

Some 20 people volunteered for the injection. After given the shot, the volunteers were asked to quarantine in the hospital for 28 days.

Earlier, results of the COVID-19 vaccine tests performed on a group of volunteers in Russia showed that they were developing immunity to the coronavirus, but what the actual composition of the drug was not explained.

There are at least 21 vaccines currently under trial worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Every country and every laboratory is taking a different approach to finding the right solution to stop the virus from taking over the world.

Russia has reported 719,449 cases of COVID-19. Some 11,188 people have died from complications caused by the disease.