Health Ministry to examine Russia vaccine before making any orders - Ismail

COVID-19 | Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the Health Ministry would examine the Covid-19 vaccine approved by Russia first before Putrajaya makes any decision to order them.

He said that it is still too early to place orders for the vaccine.

“I believe the Health Ministry will look into the matter first because many countries are now claiming that they have found the vaccine, but as far as how effective and successful they are, I believe the Health Ministry will do the research first,” Ismail Sabri said in his press conference today.

On Aug 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced that his country had become the first to grant regulatory approval to a Covid-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing.

Russia had likened this to its success in the Cold War-era space race.

However, the vaccine named "Sputnik V" in homage to the world’s first satellite launched by the Soviet Union has not yet completed its final trials.

Russia has yet to conduct large-scale trials of the shot that would produce data to show whether it works – something immunologists and infectious disease experts say could be a “reckless” step.

Global health experts have said that without a full trial data, the vaccine is hard to trust.

Experts were also concerned about the vaccine only having about 10 percent success rate in clinical trials.

Some scientists fear Moscow may be putting national prestige before safety.

However, Putin and other officials have said it is completely safe, with the Russian leader saying one of his daughters had taken the vaccine as a volunteer and felt good afterwards.

“I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity and I repeat, it has passed all the necessary checks,” Putin had said at a government meeting.