Russia has applied to the World Health Organization for accelerated registration and prequalification of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, the country’s sovereign wealth fund said on Tuesday.
Russia announced in August it had registered the world’s first coronavirus vaccine, named Sputnik V after the Soviet-era satellite.
On Tuesday, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which finances the vaccine, said that accelerated registration would make the Russian vaccine «available globally in a shorter time frame than usual procedures.»
«The Russian Federation has become one of the first countries to apply to WHO for prequalification of its vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection,» the fund said in a statement.
«Successful prequalification will enable Sputnik V to be included in the list of medicines used by international procurement agencies and countries to guide bulk purchasing of medicines.»
Some Western scientists have expressed concern over the Russian vaccine, with some warning that moving too quickly could be dangerous.
Earlier this month President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had registered its second coronavirus vaccine, EpiVacCorona.
Russia has the fourth-highest virus caseload in the world, with a total of 1,547,774 registered infections and 26,589 deaths.
On Tuesday, health authorities reported a record 320 deaths from the coronavirus over the past 24 hours as officials tightened anti-virus restrictions including enforcing mask-wearing in public spaces.
Russia Says Sputnik V Vaccine Does Not Cause Blood Clots
The developer of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine said Wednesday its jab did not cause blood clots, a potential side effect that has disrupted rollouts in several Western countries.
The United States has recommended pausing its rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after one person out of nearly 7 million Americans died from a rare type of clot in the brain following inoculation.
Denmark on Wednesday became the first country in Europe to suspend use of the AstraZeneca jab after reports of rare but serious cases of blood clots among those that had received the vaccine.
Like the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines, Russia’s Sputnik V jab uses adapted strains of the adenovirus that causes the common cold.
On Wednesday, the state-run Gamaleya research institute, which developed Sputnik V vaccine, said there was no risk of blood clots from its jab.
«A comprehensive analysis of adverse events during clinical trials and over the course of mass vaccinations with the Sputnik V vaccine showed that there were no cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis,» it said in a statement.
Russia’s registration of Sputnik in August last year triggered criticism both at home and abroad over the fast-track procedure, but a leading medical journal said this year it was safe and highly effective.
The vaccine has been registered for use in dozens of countries.
The Gamaleya institute said it was «ready to share its purification technology with other vaccine producers in order to help them minimize the risk of adverse effects during vaccination.»
President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he had received the second dose of a vaccine against the coronavirus and encouraged Russians to follow his example.
He has not said which of Russia’s three vaccines — EpicVacCorona and CoviVac in addition to Sputnik V — he received.
