FACT CHECK: WILL RUSSIA'S VACCINE REALLY BECOME THE FIRST COVID-19 VACCINE? REPORT

On Monday evening, major media organizations reported the news that a Russian medical university has completed the first phase of human trials and thus might produce the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine. The news left many in shock, while others expressed happiness. 

People attributed the mixed reactions to the fact that while this development could possibly put an end to the long wait, people were shocked since the vaccine was never mentioned as one of the front-runners in the vaccine race according to earlier media reports. 

The latest reports suggest that the vaccine might still have a long way to go since it has only completed the first phase of trials. 

The Russian News Agency “Tass” reported this as a breakthrough. The report stated that "the research has been completed and it proved that the vaccine is safe". However, the report failed to mention that it has to undergo two more phases of clinical trials since all vaccines will have to undergo three phases of trials on humans before it is made available to the masses.

What is the actual status of the vaccine?

India today highlighted in its report that while media reports claim Sechenov University in Moscow to have completed the trials, their website mentions otherwise. It states that "after the first phase of testing, the vaccine developer will prepare a report. In the next stages of the study, more volunteers will be conducted". 

The United States National Library of Medicine which has listed details about each vaccine that is under trial, has also stated that this vaccine is under Phase- I trial. The  document released by World Health Organization also corroborates the aforementioned fact. 

According to The New York Times’ Vaccine tracker, three new vaccines have entered the third phase of clinical trials and are mostly the ‘front-runners’. This includes AstraZeneca- Vaccine developed by University of Oxford from England, Sinopharm and Sinovac from China. 

Reportedly, experts believe that it is hard to predict whether this vaccine would become the first COVID-19 vaccine. One has to wait in order to see which vaccine completes all three phases of human trials first.

Image Courtesy: Hindustan Times