Coronavirus vaccine is “tested” and “safe”, says Russian defence ministry

The defence ministry of Russia said on Wednesday that the coronavirus vaccine it had developed is “safe”.

The statement was issued by the defence ministry of Russia after clinical trials on a group of volunteers.

It is said that 18 people had contributed in the research and were discharged without “serious adverse events, health complaints, complications or side effects”.

The results of the trials “allow us to speak with confidence about the safety and good tolerability of the vaccine”, the statement said.

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The defence ministry did not clearly mention whether the vaccine was in fact effective but a doctor working on the trials said the volunteers were now protected against the coronavirus.

A researcher Svetlana Volchikhina, in his video-released message by the defence ministry said, “their immunity is working well, antibodies are being created, they are protected against the coronavirus”.

Note that President Vladimir Putin during the height of the epidemic in Russia in late May was told that military researchers were developing a vaccine with scientists at the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow.

The volunteers were isolated in the Burdenko military hospital in Moscow on June 18 when the trial vaccine was administered and underwent daily check-ups.

“We now know that we are 100% protected,” Yury, a member of the army who participated in the tests, said on leaving the hospital.

The defence ministry told that “for 28 days after vaccination, the vital signs of the volunteers remained within normal limits”.