Russia’s Gamaleya Vaccine Nears Readiness for Large-Scale Use: How Can this be Possible?

Russia continues to make assertive claims about its national adenovirus-based vaccine developed out of the Gamaleya Research Institute, the state research facility based in Moscow. Reuters reports that the Russian health minister will prepare, “a mass vaccination campaign against the novel coronavirus for October,” once clinical trials are completed. As August has just commenced, it takes some “chutzpa” to forecast a fully safe and effective vaccine product so soon. Based on TrialSite’s understanding of the timeline, the Gamaleya vaccine should only be in the Phase 2 clinical trial stage. Russian health minister Mikhail Murashko reported clinical trials were completed, and paperwork is now underway for authorization according to the Interfax news agency. First on the vaccination list: doctors and teachers. Murashko was quoted saying that wider vaccinations would occur by October. In the meantime, a Reuters source informed the news agency that the vaccine would make it through the regulatory process in August and be administered to health workers soon after. How can insiders be so sure, unless the conclusion has already been made? Typically, only a few vaccines out of dozens, if not hundreds, become approved.&nbsp; And of course the vaccine development vaccine is usually managed in years rather than quarters.&nbsp;


