Coronavirus vaccine 'safe', clinical trials to be completed end July: Russian defence ministry

After Russia's Sechenov university announced it had completed clinical trials of the world's first coronavirus vaccine on volunteers, the Russian military said it had developed a "safe" coronavirus vaccine.

Also Read: Fact-check - Has Russia really found coronavirus vaccine?

"Their immunity is working well, antibodies are being created, they are protected against the coronavirus," the defence ministry said in a video release. The defence ministry said that "for 28 days after vaccination, the vital signs of the volunteers remained within normal limits". 

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The defence ministry added that it expects clinical trials to be fully completed by the end of July. Military researchers were reportedly involved in developing the vaccine with scientists at the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow in late May with human trials conducted on June 18.

The Russian military said the trials "allow us to speak with confidence about the safety and good tolerability of the vaccine". 

The race to find a cure for virus has been taking place in several countries with the WHO having listed 21 potential vaccines. Three vaccines currenlty in human trial stages include Astra-Zeneca's viral vector vaccine, University of Oxford's vaccine and Sinovac from China.

Meanwhile, Chinese vaccine developer CanSino Biologics is in talks with Russia, Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia to launch a Phase III trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine. 

Qiu Dongxu, co-founder of CanSino Biologicss, said that  Phase III trial was likely to start "pretty soon," and the company plans to recruit 40,000 participants for the tests while adding that Phase II trial involving 508 people had yielded "much better" results than the Phase I.