Russia Presses Bid for WHO's Approval of Sputnik V Vaccine As Country Grapples With 3 Times More COVID-19 Cases During Last Fall

(Photo : NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images)
RUSSIA-HEALTH-VIRUS-VACCINE
A nurse prepares to inoculate volunteer Ilya Dubrovin, 36, with Russia's new coronavirus vaccine in a post-registration trials at a clinic in Moscow on September 10, 2020. - Russia announced last month that its vaccine, named "Sputnik V" after the Soviet-era satellite that was the first launched into space in 1957, had already received approval. The vaccine was developed by the Gamaleya research institute in Moscow in coordination with the Russian defence ministry.

Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko stated that "disagreements" with the World Health Organization (WHO) about Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine status had been resolved.

However, administrative difficulties were among the roadblocks in the decision-making process, and the WHO said on Tuesday that no clearance was anticipated. Murashko claimed all hurdles had been eliminated for further assessment of Sputnik after meeting with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday.

Murashko stated on Monday that the production site and registration business "should submit the full bundle of paperwork within a week or a week and a half," after which "the subsequent procedure will commence," as per Newsweek.

WHO expected to approve Russia's Sputnik V vaccine

Sputnik V's approval by the United Nations' health agency for emergency use against coronavirus would demonstrate worldwide confidence in Russia's vaccine, despite the WHO's rigorous assessment procedure. Russia's membership in the WHO's COVAX program and partners that supply COVID-19 vaccines to needy countries across the world would be made possible by the approval.

The WHO is expected to approve the Sputnik V vaccination against COVID-19, which was created by Gamaleya Research Institute, before the end of the year. On Tuesday, Vladimir Gushchin, a senior researcher at the institution, claimed that the WHO would approve the Sputnik V vaccine by the end of 2021.

The Gamaleya Research Institute's first objective, he said, was getting WHO clearance. Gushchi claimed that the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) was working with relevant authorities on the manufacturing, clinical research, and registration of Sputnik V.

It's worth noting that the SputnikV vaccine, produced by Russia, is already recognized in 70 countries with a population of more than 4 billion people. On October 2, Russia's Health Minister, Mikhail Murashko, stated that the Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 is nearing WHO approval.

"All barriers have been lifted as of today," Murashko told reporters in Geneva, referring to WHO clearance of Sputnik V, Republic World reported.

Russia deals with another COVID-19 surge

Russia is once again dealing with a coronavirus outbreak. Although vaccinations are now widely available in the country, the incidence of new daily infections is three times greater than it was a year ago.

On Tuesday, Russia reported 895 deaths and 25,110 new COVID-19 infections, increasing the total number of officially recorded cases to more than 7.6 million since the pandemic began.

The rising number of infections has sounded the alarm. According to the Tass news agency, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin expressed "serious concern," while the director of the health watchdog agency Rospotrednadzor, Anna Popova, described the situation as "extremely tense."

In Russia, more than 200,000 people have been admitted to hospitals with COVID-19, and almost a million more are being monitored for potential cases. Officials are concerned that the situation will only worsen.

Russia's major cities, like in past waves, are taking the brunt of the damage, as per CBS News. However, there has been an increase in infections across the nation, with infection rates gradually rising in 67 of Russia's 85 regions.

President Vladimir Putin, who is said to have implemented strict security protocols for his own entourage during the pandemic, including requiring all personal contacts to quarantine for two weeks before entering a room with him, announced in September that he was self-isolating after being exposed to COVID-19.