Putin says Russia has developed 'first' coronavirus vaccine

Putin says one of his daughters had the vaccine and took part in the experiment

By AFP
August 11, 2020
Putin says one of his daughters had the vaccine and took part in the experiment. Photo: File

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday that his country has developed the first vaccine offering "sustainable immunity" against the coronavirus.

"This morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was registered" in Russia, he said during a televised video conference call with government ministers.

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"One of my daughters had this vaccine. I think in this sense she took part in the experiment," Putin said.

Russia has been pushing hard to quickly develop a coronavirus vaccine and said earlier this month it hoped to launch mass production within weeks and turn out "several million" doses per month by next year.

The World Health Organisation last week urged Russia to follow established guidelines and go "through all the stages" necessary to develop a safe vaccine.

The pandemic has seen an unprecedented mobilisation of funding and research to rush through a vaccine that can protect billions of people worldwide.

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