Russia’s health ministry has given regulatory approval for the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine, developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, after less than two months of human testing, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.
The move paves the way for mass inoculation even as the final stages of clinical trials to test safety and efficacy continue.
More than 20 million coronavirus cases have been registered around the world, over half of them in the Americas.
The speed at which Russia is moving to roll out its vaccine highlights its determination to win the global race for an effective product.
“This morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was registered” in Russia, Putin said during a televised video conference call with government ministers.
