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Coronavirus pandemic

Second Russian COVID-19 vaccine develops immunity for at least 6 months, researcher says

The expert added that the vaccine forms an immune response among a wide variety of coronavirus types

© Rospotrebnadzor Press Office/TASS

MOSCOW, September 17. /TASS/. The second Russian COVID-19 vaccine created by the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology "Vector" forms immunity to the virus for at least six months, and if needed, vaccination can be repeated, the chief of the center’s zoonotic infections and influenza section, Alexander Ryzhikov, informed on Thursday.

"The vaccine is built in such a way that it has no restrictions on repeat vaccination. It does not create lifelong immunity, which is good. It forms a targeted immune response, and there is no need to worry about long-term effects of revaccination. Immunity formed by this vaccine is enough for at least six months. In the future, revaccination is possible, the vaccine’s contents do not contradict that," he said during a live feed on Instagram organized by the Russian consumer rights watchdog.

The expert added that the vaccine forms an immune response among a wide variety of coronavirus types.

The Vector Research Center received the approval of the Russian Health Ministry to carry out clinical trials of the vaccine on volunteers on July 24. On July 27, the first volunteer got the vaccine shot. On Monday, head of the Russian consumer rights watchdog Anna Popova informed that clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Vector Research Center would conclude on September 30, after which, the post-registration trials will begin.

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