Moscow, August 11: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday claimed that the country has developed the “world’s first” coronavirus vaccines. This vaccine has been approved by Russia’s health ministry.

Putin also further disclosed that his own daughter is among those who were vaccinated against this virus. He said that his daughter had a slight temperature after taking part in trials, but that it quickly went away. “One of my daughters got the vaccine. In this sense, she took part in the experiment, After the first vaccination, she had a temperature of 38, the next day-37 and that was all.”

The vaccine, developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, received approval after less than two months of human testing. The mass production is expected to start in September and mass vaccination in October. The speed at which Russia is moving to roll out its vaccine highlights its determination to fight the COVID-19 war, but has raised concerns that it may be putting the country’s prestige before sound science and safety. Many scientists in the Russia and abroad have been skeptical, questioning the decision to register the vaccine before Phase 3 trials that normally last for months and involve thousands of people.

Speaking at a government meeting on state television, Putin said, "I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks". He further insisted that the vaccination in Russia should only be carried out on a voluntary basis, with nobody forced to accept the immunization.

Though the World Health Organization last week urged Russia to follow established guidelines and go through all the clinical trials necessary to develop a safe vaccine, the pandemic has seen an unprecedented deployment of funding and research to rush through a vaccine that can protect billions of people worldwide.