Russia created the first Covid vaccine candidate in Europe in mid-2020, naming it Sputnik V. The country’s government approved it not long after in August, despite questions about its efficacy from western nations. Officials distributed the jab around neighbouring countries such as Serbia, Hungary and Belarus before sending it further afield to the UAE and Argentina.
Will the Sputnik vaccine be available in the UK?
Sputnik V was met with scepticism in the west, owing, in part, to its quick approval by the Russian government.
The Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology continued trials as officials started administering the first doses.
Other approved drugs, including the Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, required Phase III trial results before approval.
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They are currently waiting to pass Johnson and Johnson’s groundbreaking one-shot jab.
Other European countries, including Germany, have shown an openness to rolling out Sputnik V, provided it passes clinical trials.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz also spoke with Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin revealed.
The Russian government said they discussed “possible supplies of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine to Austria, as well as its possible joint production.”