In a progressive effort, Russia has officially become the first country in the world to grant approval to a COVID-19 vaccine. However, scientists and health officials are claiming the vaccination went from discovery to approval unusually fast. This is causing some alarm for those interested in getting the vaccine.
Officials are uneasy over the news Russia is offering the vaccine before final-stage testing. This causes alarm on an international level.
Traditionally, final-stage testing involves at least 30,000 volunteers. It often takes months to prove the vaccination works and is of course, safe. In some countries, they test volunteers for at least a year following an additional screening and testing before it releases. But Russia seems to have skipped this process and went for a fast-tracked approval.
Russia’s president Vladmir Putin says one of his two daughters had the vaccine and now has lasting immunity to the coronavirus. Despite this claim, Russian authorities have not been able to show proof to back up claims of safety and effectiveness. They are not showing support to their president’s claims despite getting approval.
Russia’s Association of Clinical Trials Organization states, “Fast-tracked approval will not make Russia the leader in the race, it will just expose consumers of the vaccine to unnecessary danger.”
Furthermore, other countries around the world seem to show skepticism and agree the vaccination isn’t ready to be publicized. As it’s impossible to know the long-term effect of the immunization with minimal research. It’s important to note every country in the world has slightly different protocols for new vaccines and their release for public consumption. So for the top health care officials from all over the world to agree on the potentially unsafe approval says how serious this can be for humankind.
Yes, we are all anxiously awaiting a vaccine to eliminate the possibility of contracting COVID-19. But a premature release can be deadly for anyone who has it. Imagine forcing healthcare workers to have this vaccine in order to go to work. This could potentially cause harm to their bodies and prevent them from helping others. Or imagine the healthy young person who willingly puts this in their body in hopes of a solution. However, they end up with severe lifelong side effects or it even kills them.
Your health is not to be risked at a critical time like this. even in a health crisis.
Yes, this news may be exciting to hear. We as a world are one step closer to combating COVID-19. But we need to be aware this probably isn’t the safest idea to be happy about. Nor should we be urging our own healthcare professionals to create a vaccine so we can keep up with Russia. These things take time. We need to recognize an additional rush for perfection can cause equally as much damage in the long run.
Sorry to get your hopes up if you thought your country would be next. But it’s best if we can wait for a clinically approved and confirmed vaccine to be available. It’s for your best interest.
Featured Image by CDC on Unsplash
