A vaccine against coronavirus may come into circulation in mid-August

National research centre of epidemiology and Microbiology named after N. F. Gamalei, Russian Ministry of health plans to apply for registration of its vaccine against coronavirus August 2-4. In civil circulation, the drug can flow in mid-August, said on Monday TASS Director of the center Alexander Ginzburg.

“As far as I remember the schedule approved by the [health Minister] Mikhail A. Murashko, this is August 2-4, we need to apply for registration. Until 12 August, the health Ministry should check out the parties that we develop <…> In circulation, the vaccine can do 12-14 August, in mid-August,”he said.

Gunzburg noted that already started the second phase of the vaccine trials, completion of research is planned in late July — early August. “The second stage now actually started. It will end by the beginning of August to the end of July, at the time of registration”, — he said.

The expert explained that during the second phase, volunteers will be administered the second injection of the drug in order to form a more lasting immunity to the virus for two years or more. This step needs to be completed at the time of registration of the vaccine. “The package of documents for registration will be supplied in parallel with the observation of the volunteers that will still be within 10 days to be observed. And possible check the results of the monitoring [for testing] should go to the Ministry of health. If all is well, then at the end point and put it all together, then will check. I hope I will succeed”, he concluded.

Preliminary results of the first phase of clinical trials of the vaccine showed that volunteers are immune to the infection, said Ginzburg. “Yeah, absolutely showed <…> He [the immunity] is, but we the final results still haven’t told anyone. We look more in depth, several systems, not only the presence of antibodies, like all commercial and non-commercial structure look, and we see the presence of neutralizing antibodies <…> Plus, we will have to watch and see T-cell immunity, which generally no one is watching”, he said.

Earlier in the Ministry of health of the Russian Federation announced the start of clinical trials of two forms of a vaccine against coronavirus, developed by the center named after N. F. Gamalei. The first groups of volunteers the vaccine was introduced on June 18. Summing up the results of testing are expected by August. Then the Ministry will evaluate the results and decide on its applicability.