Efficacy of Russian COVID vaccine needs to be tested first: AIIMS director

In a caution against Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik-V, AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria, also one of the country’s renowned pulmonologists, has said that there was a need to test the safety and efficacy of the vaccine first and see if it gives any side effects.

“If Russia’s vaccine is successful, then we will have to see critically whether it is safe and effective. There should not be any side effects of the vaccine and it should provide good immunity and protection. India has the capacity for mass production of vaccine,” ANI quoted Dr Guleria as saying.

Apart from assessing the sample size of the vaccine’s trials, Guleria said it should be verified if it makes anti-bodies and how long they last.

The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration may discuss the matter when it meets on Thursday.

“Government has constituted the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration which will meet tomorrow. Their terms of reference constitute all matter related to logistics of vaccines, ways to address issues of equity etc,” Union health secretary Rajesh Bhusan said earlier.

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Guleria’s statement comes a day after Russian President Vladimir announced that Russia is the first country to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of testing. Putin claimed that the vaccine offers “sustainable immunity” against COVID-19.

There, however, are concerns over the efficacy of the vaccine, named after Soviet Union’s first satellite, as it has not finished its final round of trials.