After this week was was the first vaccine against coronavirus in the world, Russia said it was ready to cooperate with any country that is interested in this. “We are ready for international cooperation with all interested partners in the development and production of vaccines and medicines to ensure a coordinated global response to the spread of covid-19 and total victory over the pandemic,” said Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia.
Let me remind you that on Tuesday, Russia, the first registered vaccine against coronavirus called “Satellite V”. Stated that the vaccine has passed all required testing (under Russian law), and that testing will continue with the involvement of thousands of volunteers in Russia and abroad.
Ambassador nebesa noted that key tests have confirmed the reliability and “exceptional effectiveness” of the vaccine. He also said that Russia is simultaneously continuing to develop other “promising vaccines”.
Of course, at stake is much more than the vaccine, because for the past few months unfolds the brutal race among the world powers, each of which wants to create the vaccine first. Many have compared this race with the competition in the 60-ies (not surprisingly, Russia named its first vaccine “Companion”). And also, of course, those who are left behind (still without a vaccine), sharply criticized the Russian vaccine. After Tuesday, the Russian President confirmed that Russia has completed the first vaccine in the West began to multiply negative reaction. The Russian vaccine is referred to as a dangerous, unfinished, poorly tested, and so on.
As far as the Russian vaccine is actually quality, time will tell, but it is worth noting that all pharmaceutical companies in the West have made sure to make himself invulnerable to any legal claims in connection with the adverse effects of their vaccines when they appear.
Russian health Minister Mikhail Murashko refuted Western criticism, stressing that it is absolutely not justified and caused by “fear of competition”.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian direct investment Fund (RDIF), went further and said that to politicize the subject of the Russian vaccine, as do some Western countries, means to jeopardize the lives of citizens.
Of course, the main confrontation is still unfolding between Washington and Moscow. However, Russia leads in all respects. She not only has the first vaccine, but it is also much less affected by the coronavirus. To date, Russia from the coronavirus died 15 260 people, and in the USA almost ten times more — 169 313. Considering the population, the death rate in the US is five times higher than in Russia (511 deaths per million people in the United States against 105 in Russia). Also recall that in several European countries doing worse than in the United States. For example, in Spain 611 fatalities per million inhabitants in the UK — 608, Italy — 583, in Sweden — 571.
Nevertheless, the Russian vaccine do still not massively tested. Technically she is still under examination, and this fact is the perfect excuse for criticism. German health Minister Jens span announced his “skeptical” attitude towards the vaccine and called it a “dangerous choice”. I agree with him his American colleague Alex Azar, who said, “It’s not the race in which it is important to be first.” For someone like. Maybe for Azar it doesn’t matter, but for the American President Donald trump and many others this is important and very much so.
Disgusting to admit it, but many who are already most involved in this race, probably secretly hoping that the Russian vaccine will prohibit either because of its consequences, or in connection with the duration and effectiveness of immunity. This, of course, at least in part, afraid of the Russians. The fact that Russia continues to develop other vaccines against coronavirus, says that the Russian realize: “Satellite V”, maybe not the “final” vaccine, which is now going to save the world and stop the pandemic has already caused large human and economic damage.
Now it is easy to moralize, but the fact remains: there are three major players (US, UK and China) who are also doing everything to otherwise circumvent the strict requirements and make the vaccine available as soon as possible. Just Russia has gone further all and has introduced the vaccine, which is still not massively tested.
Vladimir Putin said that the new vaccine has already instilled in his daughter. This can be called effective “media-PR”. However, from a scientific point of view this is unimportant news. By the way, interestingly, in 1768 the Russian Empress Catherine the Great is one of the first vaccination against smallpox to demonstrate the effectiveness of the vaccine.
To confirm the effectiveness of the vaccine, it is necessary to test for thousands of people, including from different demographic groups with different medical features.
What if the Russian vaccine ineffective or worse, dangerous? Implications for the fight against the pandemic would be terrible. Undoubtedly, the existence of the vaccine — it is also a powerful psychological factor, and many countries, especially third world will rush to buy Russian vaccine. If it doesn’t work, the pandemic drags on.
This, of course, aware of the Russians. They understand that if “sploshayut”, you will cause yourself a powerful punch and will ruin his reputation. Surely they would consciously tempt fate?
However, on this subject, it is necessary to take into account the geopolitical circumstances. What if, for example, South Korea was the first to develop a vaccine? South Korea — “Western ally”, and skepticism in connection with the vaccine would be much less. Undoubtedly, Russia and its ability to underestimate intentionally.
Russia is not the pharmaceutical locomotive of the world and even imports the vaccines. However, the Moscow research Institute Gamalei has extensive experience in the field of epidemiology and Microbiology. There for decades, developed an effective vaccine, and, in particular, in recent years, there established approved in the world a vaccine against Ebola.
Between Russia and the West have developed such a geopolitical situation where all the Russian rejected without further proceedings. When Russia sent to new York mask in the beginning of the pandemic in the United States, it caused a real diplomatic scandal.
However, peace is not only the West. Many countries have already ordered the Russian vaccine, or negotiate about it, including countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Philippines, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Serbia… Moscow said that already 20 countries have expressed a desire to purchase vaccines at one billion dollars.
Unless these countries are not afraid of potentially defective vaccines? And again we come back to geopolitics. Everything revolves around trust. The vaccine from Russia will buy those countries that Russia is trusted, and who trusts no one and will not buy (they will wait until the vaccine would develop “allies”, i.e. US or UK).
But who can guarantee that the “Western” the vaccine will be safe? According to some experts, the Russian vaccine at its heart is safer because of the method of receipt of Western companies went in an experimental way and not in a hurry as soon as possible to introduce the vaccine on the market.
But what if you ignore the geopolitics and keep only to the facts that we know about the Russian vaccine? We know that only held two key phases of testing. Let me remind you that at the first stage tested a small number of volunteers, and on the second testing involves more people and detected the immune system and possible negative consequences. According to many, the most important is the third stage, since it involved different groups of volunteers and significantly expanded their range. The Russian vaccine has not passed the third stage of testing, but rather she would have. Will it be successful? How to watch. According to Russian experts, there is no danger, as the first and second phase of testing have arisen, at least in their words, “no negative effects”. If so, then to win the race against time probably wise to take a little risk, that is, to assume that the third stage will be successful. After all, this pandemic, if at all possible, you need to stop as soon as possible (agree with it all).
The third stage of testing the Russian vaccine will be conducted not only in Russia but also in Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, that is quite a different and broader population.
Competitors are angry with Russia, because Russia in this race already moved on to the last stage and finish line of this marathon, it is only a few kilometers. But knowing what Russia will do, why they do not have used this tactic and did not rely on chance at the third stage? Most of them claim that the reason for their increased responsibility that Russia has less strict rules, and so on. However, the true reason why they are not yet his vaccine on the market is probably that she’s not ready.
What if they did not succeed to establish it? Go back to the analogy with the space race. Russian, of course, tried to send astronauts to the moon, but nothing happened. Their rocket N-1, as it worked (mostly in secrecy), and failed to deliver…
Of course, it dashed the dreams of the Soviet leadership. Now maybe even Russia sees in this situation a revenge for losing the space race of the 60’s! In Moscow alone know (if you know) the truth about vaccines “Satellite V” and only they understand the relationship between its actual efficacy and potential scale of the disaster, when will begin mass testing that is “standard” vaccination is it. The Russian leadership hoped for a better scenario in which countries buy Russian vaccine, the first to leave coronavirus crisis, and already because of this they will much more trust in Russia. Perhaps even in Moscow hope that in a few months, the Western countries for lack of other choice, “clenched teeth”, I’ll buy the Russian vaccine. Russian aid sent to Italy at the beginning of the pandemic, in a sense, foreshadowed the immense opportunities that Russia sees itself in the current situation.
It’ll be really? Only time will tell. It is now officially possible scenarios — from the Russian disaster to the Russian triumph.
