Moscow began to administer its Sputnik V vaccine to thousands of high-risk workers on Saturday, launching the first phase of a large-scale coronavirus vaccine campaign. Critics, concerned that Russia’s competitiveness might have made it reckless, have warned that the vaccine has not been tested enough to be certain of its safety.
According to Reuters, Moscow’s mayor has said it plans to vaccinate 6 or 7 million people. Russia first approved its vaccine in August, well before it was tested in any clinical trials. The vaccine’s makers did report good results last month, but the study included only a small number of people. Russian health officials have warned recipients of the vaccine to minimize risk as much as possible due to the possibility of a weakened immune system, and pregnant and older people were prohibited from taking the vaccine.
Meanwhile, the U.K. is set to become the first country clear and roll out the more rigorously tested Pfizer vaccine, which is expected to be authorized in the U.S. soon. The country will administer the first shots on Tuesday, prioritizing the elderly, healthcare workers on the frontlines, and residents and workers of assisted living facilities. It has ordered enough doses to vaccinate 20 million people.
Russia will not be the first country to launch a large-scale immunization effort. China has vaccinated hundreds of thousands of people but has never produced studies showing its vaccines to be safe and effective. Some smaller countries have followed, using the vaccines developed by Russia and China. The two country’s vaccines use older techniques than those developed by Pfizer and Moderna, and experts worry that they involve too much uncertainty to be safely administered to millions.
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