WHO lacks info to evaluate Russian COVID-19 vaccine, says Pan American health oficial

The World Health Organization has not received enough information on the Russian COVID-19 vaccine to evaluate it, the assistant director of its regional branch, the Pan American Health Organization, Jarbas Barbosa,said on Tuesday.

Asked about plans to produce the potential vaccine in Brazil, Barbosa said that should not be done until Phase 2 and 3 trials are completed to guarantee its safety and effectiveness.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.

“Any vaccine producer has to follow this procedure that guarantees it is safe and has the WHO’s recommendation,” he said in a virtual briefing from Washington.

Read more: Coronavirus: Russia approves COVID-19 vaccine, first in the world, Putin says

No request yet to make Russian vaccine: Brazil health regulator

Meanwhile, Brazilian health regulator Anvisa said in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday that it had not yet received a request to authorize Russia’s new COVID-19 vaccine, which the Parana state government said it was in talks to produce locally.

Anvisa said it could not comment on the safety or effectiveness of the vaccine before getting official data from the Russian laboratory responsible for the vaccine.

Russia on Tuesday said it was ready to bring the vaccine to market, despite not having finished standard mass testing.

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