Elvira Kadyrova
Kazakhstan will purchase Russian vaccine against Covid-19. The corresponding agreement on mutual understanding was signed between the Russian Direct Investment Fund and SK-pharmacy company on the sidelines of the visit of the government delegation of Kazakhstan to Russia.
“The agreement provides for the delivery of more than 2 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine to Kazakhstan. In the future, we will consider together with our partners the possibility of expanding the volume of supplies of the vaccine to 5 million doses,” said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the RDIF.
The Russian research center of epidemiology and microbiology named after N. F. Gamalei is ready to produce the necessary volume for Kazakhstan. SK-pharmacy is an exclusive distributor of the Kazakhstan’s ministry of health.
Kazakhstan intends to launch vaccination after the vaccine will pass all stages of clinical trials. The risk groups, including the elderly, people with chronic diseases, health workers will be vaccinated first. The vaccination will be provided on free and voluntary basis.
In addition, the health minister of Kazakhstan met with his Russian counterpart to discuss joint efforts in the struggle against the spread of coronavirus infection. As a result of the meeting, the ministries signed a protocol on further cooperation.
In parallel with the plans on importing foreign vaccine, Kazakhstan is also proceeding with development of home-made vaccine against coronavirus.
According to local media reports, Almaty-based laboratory of the branch of the National center for the examination of medicines and medical devices has completed preclinical studies of the inactivated vaccine against COVID-19
The drug has been tested not only on laboratory animals, but the inventors have also tried it on themselves. The outcomes of the preclinical stage have shown that the vaccine against COVID-19 is not toxic and can be used on volunteers.
The first phase of clinical trials on volunteers aged 18 to 50 will be launched in September, the second phase is scheduled for mid-October and is expected to wrap up in December 2020.///nCa, 27 August 2020