Russia Covid-19 vaccine 'triggers immune response'
Russian scientists have published the first report on the coronavirus vaccine, saying early tests showed signs of an immune response.
The report published by medical journal The Lancet said every participant developed antibodies to fight the virus and had no serious unwanted effects.
Russia accredited the vaccine for local use in August, the first country to take action and before data have been published.
Experts say the trials were too small to prove effectiveness and safety.
But Moscow has hailed the results as a remedy to critics. Some Western authorities have raised concerns about the speed of Russia's work, suggesting that researchers could possibly be cutting corners.
Last month, President Vladimir Putin said the vaccine had passed all of the required checks and that one of his own daughters had received it.
What does the report say?
Two trials of the vaccine, named Sputnik-V, were conducted between June and July, The Lancet paper said. Each involved 38 healthy volunteers who received a dose of the vaccine and then a booster vaccine three weeks later.
The participants - aged between 18 and 60 - were monitored for 42 days and most of them developed antibodies within three weeks. Among the most typical unwanted effects were headaches and joint pain.
The trials were open label and not randomized, meaning there was no placebo and the volunteers were aware these were receiving the vaccine.
"Large, long-term trials including a placebo comparison, and additional monitoring are had a need to establish the long-term safety and effectiveness of the vaccine for stopping Covid-19 infection," the report said.
A third phase of trials will involve 40,000 volunteers from "different age and risk groups," in line with the paper.
The Russian vaccine uses adapted strains of the adenovirus, a virus that always causes the common cold, to trigger an immune response.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of a Russian investment fund behind the vaccine, said throughout a news conference that the report was "a robust response to the sceptics who unreasonably criticised the Russian vaccine".
He said that 3,000 persons had recently been recruited for the next thing of trials.
Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said the united states would start vaccinations from November or December, with a give attention to high-risk groups.
But professionals warned that there is still a long way to go until a vaccine could enter the marketplace.
Brendan Wen, Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis at London's School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told Reuters news agency: "The report is a case of 'so far, so good'".
In line with the World Health Organization, there are 176 potential vaccines becoming developed worldwide. Of these, 34 are being tested on people. Among those, eight are in stage three, the most advanced.
