Russia has announced that it will launch a mass trial of its first coronavirus vaccine next week. The trial will involve approximately 40,000 people.
The vaccine, which has been dubbed 'Sputnik V' in honor of the first satellite launched into orbit by the Soviet Union, was announced earlier this month. The Russian government claims it is the first coronavirus vaccine in the world and that it is perfectly safe.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that his daughter has already been vaccinated against the coronavirus.
But the Association of Clinical Trials Organizations (ACTO) warned that Russia had moved too fast with the vaccine’s registration, and that further testing is needed.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, told reporters that international skepticism over the vaccine is being cause by "a range of countries is running an information war against the Russian vaccine."
Russia will share the data from the upcoming trials with the World Health Organization and with the countries of United Arab Emirates, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, which are considering participating in the trial.