Moscow Expands Covid-19 Vaccine Campaign as Drug Nears Approval

(Bloomberg) -- Some medical staff and city government workers in Moscow are being offered the opportunity to inoculate against the coronavirus as Russia is poised to register what it says is the world's first Covid-19 vaccine.

At least one hospital is preparing lists of employees who want to be vaccinated with the drug developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute, according to a doctor who received an invitation. A city government official said similar notices inviting volunteers for inoculation had been sent out to staff there.

An invitation seen by Bloomberg states that the vaccine is safe and has passed clinical trials. The Moscow City Government's press service declined to comment.

The Gamaleya vaccine developed with the Russian Direct Investment Fund is expected to get conditional registration this month, requiring trials on another 1,600 people, and production is likely to start in September, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova told President Vladimir Putin at a July 29 meeting. Regulators plan to register the vaccine by Aug. 12, according to a person familiar with the process.

The developers are touting the vaccine as safe and effective amid a global race to develop protection against the deadly virus that's killed more than 700,000 worldwide and wreaked economic havoc as nations have locked down in response.

Still, the testing data hasn't been published and the speed with which Russia is moving to make the vaccine available has raised questions in other countries.

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