Russia’s vaccines against COVID-19 have been tested and found to be safe and the main focus is to use these vaccines, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with the Russian media, Sputnik reports.
According to Medvedev, Russia, like any other country, evaluates vaccines based on the principles of efficacy and safety. The official mentioned three Russian vaccines, namely Sputnik V, developed by the Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute, EpiVacCorona, created by Siberian research center Vector, and the vaccine developed by the Chumakov research institute.
“They are all different in terms of their biological components and anti-virus delivery means that are used. I recall that Sputnik V is based on the use of adenoviruses, with two different components, while EpiVacCorona contains a special synthesized protein, essentially representing pieces and individual elements of coronavirus, which are the most important for a person to form immunity,” Medvedev said.
The vaccine developed by the Chumakov research institute is the most classic drug since it contains an inactive virus of atypical COVID-19 pneumonia and this vaccine “works on the same principles as vaccines have been working for 200 years,” Medvedev added.
“We have tested these vaccines, they are recognized as safe, and they must be used, and this is what we focus on,” the official stressed.
According to Medvedev, Russia is not imposing its vaccines on other countries. The main task is to produce a sufficient amount of effective vaccines for Russians, and one of the Security Council’s next meetings will be devoted to vaccine production issues.
