After the recent announcement made by Russia to adopt the first Russian vaccine against COVID-19 amid expectations to begin production in September, Ministry of Health in Kuwait has begun following the latest developments and clinical trials for any COVID-19 vaccine that is officially approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), reports Al-Qabas daily quoting informed sources.
They said, “The ministry has a specialized technical committee to follow up the most prominent treatments and vaccines used worldwide. This committee includes consultants and experts in infectious and internal diseases. They follow up the latest global developments and medicines that can be used for treating diseases including the treatments currently used by the ministry for treating coronavirus patients”.
In response to a question about whether Kuwait is one among the 20 countries that have requested for one billion doses of the Russian vaccine according to statements issued by Russian officials, the sources clarified that no doses have been requested by Kuwait until now.
Requests to import any quantity of this vaccine or any others are subject to standards. Measures that must be met before ordering include obtaining the desired scientific medical results, efficacy against the virus, and official approval of the World Health Organization or the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi).
None of the other Gulf countries have initiated a request for the Russian vaccine, as it has not been formally approved by regulatory health organizations. No comprehensive scientific studies were submitted on its effectiveness, safety and assurance.
It is worth mentioning that the Russian President Vladimir Putin recently announced that one of his daughters had received the “Sputnik V” vaccine, which was developed by the Nikolai Gamalia Institute. Russia’s acceleration of the development of the vaccine, within less than two months after testing it on humans, raised concerns about its effectiveness.
Despite Moscow’s announcement that the vaccine passed the tests successfully, the World Health Organization cautiously said, “The stage before licensing any vaccine passes through strict mechanisms”.
In this regard, the United States of America stressed that “It is important to have transparent data on the vaccine to prove its safety and effectiveness”.
Also, Germany stated that, “There are no known data yet regarding the quality, efficacy and non-riskiness of the Russian vaccine.”
Source : Arab Times
