EXPERTS NOTE SHORT CUTS IN PUTIN’S COVID-19 VACCINE

While US and Russian experts have doubted the “iron-clad” guarantees issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Sputnik-V vaccine developed by Moscow was efficient and safe, they are nonetheless worried that US President Donald Trump may jump in and secure millions of doses for the US.

Writing for Truthout, Chris Walker noted on August 11, 2020 (August 12, 2020 in Manila) that Putin’s announcement of the efficacy of Sputnik-V came on the same day that 12 patients succumbed to COVID-19 in Moscow. “I know it has proven efficient and forms a stable immunity, and I would like to repeat that it has passed all the necessary tests,” Putin said upon announcing the vaccine, which was taken by his own daughter. The Russian strongman also promised to provide the vaccine to the people of the Philippines.

However, experts urged caution against Putin’s claims, noting his vaccine did not go through the rigorous standards that other nations like the US and the United Kingdom (UK) are putting their COVID-19 vaccines through as it skipped Phase 3 testing trials, which involve inoculation of thousands of test participants to examine them for possible side effects and efficacy before going to the public.

Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb tweeted his misgivings on Tuesday morning. “Russia was reported to be behind disinformation campaigns to sow doubts in US about our COVID-19 vaccines,” Gottlieb noted, “and today’s news that they ‘approved’ a vaccine on the equivalent of phase 1 data may be another effort to stoke doubts or goad US into forcing early action on our vaccines.”

Epidemiologist and health economist Eric Feigl-Ding also tweeted his mistrust of Putin’s announcement, insisting that their vaccine wasn’t tested vigorously enough. “Phase 3’s larger sample size allows much better study of safety signals & in [a] wider range of patients. Waiting for P3 will allow greater confidence,” Feigl-Ding explained.

Criticism came from within Russia, too, with Svetlana Zavidova, executive director of Russia’s Association of Clinical Trials Organizations, voicing concerns. “This is a political decision by Putin so he can claim that Russia was the first in the race to develop a Covid-19 vaccine,” Zavidova said.

A vaccine that hasn’t been tested enough could have negative consequences, including causing medical harm to a large percentage of the populace. It could also simply be ineffective at preventing COVID-19, which could cast doubts about future vaccines that are developed. Many believe, at this point, a vaccine is inevitable, but how well it works won’t be known until Phase 3 testing is completed.