COVID-19: Is the Russian vaccine for real?

*WHO officials appear somehow skeptical of Russia’s vaccine claims

*It’s reckless to approve it if lots of people haven’t already been tested ─Vaccine Researcher

*35 Percent of Americans wouldn’t take a COVID-19 vaccine even if free, FDA-approved ─Survey

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Contrary to natural expectations of positivism, hope, and a huge sigh of relief that ought to have greeted Russia’s announcement that it has approved the world’s first vaccine against the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tuesday, August 11, 2020, the deed is being met with a healthy dose of skepticism around the world.

ConsumerConnect reports that the vaccine, named “Sputnik V”, was approved by Russian health authorities after only two months of testing on 100 subjects, the equivalent of a Phase 1 clinical trial.

It was gathered that the country began a Phase 3 clinical trial for the vaccine Wednesday, despite the fact that it has already approved the drug for general distribution for the use of consumers.

Incidentally, there is no published data about the long-term effects of the vaccine, report stated.

Likewise, the World Health Organisation (WHO) officials also appear somehow skeptical of Russia’s vaccine claims according to report.

The United Nations health body said that it had been in close contact with Russian health officials about the process used to approve the vaccine in the first place.

Generally, subsequent to the country’s announcement of a vaccine to combat the fatal Coronavirus Tuesday, report indicates that there are plenty of skeptics who say “the drug is not ready for general distribution.”

Recall that the Russian Government says it has approved a vaccine against the COVID-19 after it “proved to be safe and effective”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made the announcement and disclosed that one of his daughters had taken it.

President Putin said the Russian vaccine is the first anywhere to be registered for general use.

In a Tuesday morning announcement, the President said: “Although I know that it works quite effectively, it forms a stable immunity and, I repeat, has passed all the necessary checks.”

Although the world generally welcomed the news, with stocks moving sharply higher on Wall Street in pre-market activity, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former Commissioner of the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA), advised caution.

In an interview with CNBC, Gottlieb noted that the vaccine has only been subjected to “a phase 1 clinical trial” with about 100 subjects receiving it, and that the trial was completed in “a two-month period”.

As with most of the vaccine claims and pre-announcements that have been made during the pandemic, the Russian vaccine announcement is being accepted with a rather large grain of salt, stated the report.

Peter Kremsner, a vaccine researcher at the University Hospital, in Tuebingen, also told Reuters that “normally you need a large number of people to be tested before you approve a vaccine.

“In that respect, I think it’s reckless to [approve it] if lots of people haven’t already been tested.”

Russian Vaccine for Real?    Photo: Metro UK

It was gathered that a Phase 3 clinical trial, conventionally, has as many as 30,000 subjects who receive a drug and have their health status followed over a period of several months.

Several vaccine candidates are currently in Phase 3 clinical trials in the US and other nations of the world.

Meanwhile, report says more than a third of Americans wouldn’t take a COVID-19 vaccine even if it were free and approved.

It was learnt that nearly the same thing happened in 1954 with the then-new polio vaccine.

Although drugmakers think they’re close to finding a viable COVID-19 vaccine, it might all be for naught, according to report.

Results from a recent survey show that 35 percent of the U.S. population wouldn’t even take the vaccine, even if it was effective, FDA-approved, and free.

The Gallup survey also shows some distinct differences in how Americans line up on the question of a vaccine.

On top of the 65:35 percent disparity in willingness to take a sanctioned vaccine, U.S. party preferences also play a strong role in Americans’ views on COVID-19.

Eighty-one percent of Democrats are ready to be vaccinated today if a free and FDA-approved vaccine were available.

That compares to only 59 percent of independents and just under half of Republicans (47 percent) who would do the same.

In the survey, agreement among the demographic groups is positive, and one of those groups ─ the 18-29 demographic, with 76 percent saying they would take the vaccine ─caught Gallup’s attention.

Gallup’s Shannon Mullen O’Keefe said: “Young people are still affected, and an increasing proportion of new infections are occurring among younger adults, possibly because this age group is engaging in riskier behaviors that are promoting the spread of the disease.”

In the other demographic breakouts, the “yes” factor amounted to 70 percent of seniors; 64 percent among those 30-49 years old; and 59 percent among those between 50 and 64.

In the White vs. Non-White category, White Americans are somewhat more likely to take an approved vaccine than non-White Americans — 67 percent vs. 59 percent, respectively.

“This is particularly noteworthy, given media reports on the pandemic noting that Black and Latino Americans have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19,” wrote O’Keefe.

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