Russia Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine

Russia’s Ministry of Health has granted conditional approval to a COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik 5, developed at Moscow’s Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology.

The vaccine is only entering its first phase 3 trial this week, raising widespread international concerns about its safety.

Mass production of the vaccine, which uses two different adenovirus vectors for first and second doses, is expected to begin next month.