Putin's vaccine claims in doubt

Nearly nine months into the Covid-19 outbreak, Russia became the first country to grant regulatory approval to a Covid-19 vaccine for civilian use, President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday, describing it as “a very important step for the world”. Putin’s daughter got a shot of the vaccine, Reuters reported. However, the Gam-COVID-Vac Lyo vaccine, developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute in collaboration with the country’s defence ministry, has led to scepticism regarding its safety and effectiveness since it is being approved for civilian use even before clinical trials are completed.