Kazakhstan To Buy Potential COVID-19 Vaccine From Russia

Kazakhstan, Central Asia’s largest country with a population of almost 19 million people, will buy a potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, its government said on Wednesday. 

Top health officials from the two countries signed a deal to supply Kazakhstan with the Russian-made vaccine once clinical trials are complete. The value of the deal, however, has not been disclosed.

“The agreement provides for the supply of more than two million doses of the Russian “Sputnik V” vaccine to Kazakhstan,” said Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) that is financing the vaccine. 

“In the future, together with our partners, we will consider the possibility of increasing the volume of vaccine supplies to 5 million doses,” he added. 

According to a statement published on the website of the Kazakh prime minister, at-risk citizens, including health workers, elderly people and patients with chronic diseases, will be among the first to receive the vaccine, free of charge. 

On August 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the country had registered a coronavirus vaccine, claiming it as “the first in the world.” Developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, the vaccine was dubbed “Sputnik V” to honor the first artificial satellite launched into the Earth's orbit in 1957. RDIF officials say that more than 20 countries have already applied for the vaccine.

Russia carried out first and second phase clinical trials between June 18 and July 12. However, the third and largest trial is scheduled to begin in early September, along with the mass vaccination of 40,000 volunteers.

While critics remain skeptical about the safety of the vaccine, Russian health experts have said that all participants who had received the vaccine, so far, had developed neutralizing antibodies. 

“Mass vaccination with an improperly tested vaccine is unethical. Any problem with the Russian vaccination campaign would be disastrous both through its negative effects on health, but also because it would further curb trust in vaccines among the population,” said Francois Balloux, a geneticist at University College London, in a statement distributed by the UK Science Media Center.

Meanwhile, researchers at the Kazakhstan Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems have been developing their own vaccine since May. It has already been included in the World Health Organization’s “Draft landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines" report. The first phase of clinical trials will begin in September.

Kazakhstan Health Minister Alexey Tsoi has pledged that all vaccines will be tested by the National Center for Expertise of Medicines and Medical Devices before mass vaccination in the country, regardless of the manufacturer. However, Tsoi warned that all medications could have potential side effects.

“If, for example, a vaccine was administered in the background of some disease when there are contraindications [to the use of drugs], a doctor who set the admission is responsible. If the issue is related to quality, then the one who evaluated the vaccine is responsible. If the vaccine was transported in improper conditions, then the logistician is responsible,” Tsoi said on August 19 in an interview with Inbusiness.

As of August 26, Kazakhstan has reported more than 105,075 infection cases and 1,523 deaths due to coronavirus.