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Coronavirus pandemic

Lukashenko says Belarus created its own coronavirus vaccine

The head of state characterised the preparation as 'different' from the foreign vaccines the country has to buy

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko Sergei Sheleg/BelTA/TASS

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko

© Sergei Sheleg/BelTA/TASS

MINSK, May 7. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed Friday that the republic has developed its own coronavirus vaccine.

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"We got our own vaccine in a test tube yesterday - a Belarusian one. A different one, different from what we buy today. What physicians call a ‘live vaccine’," he said, according to BelTA. "We are not in a hurry, let’s see what happens the day after tomorrow, when the infection changes, because there will be a different strain."

The head of state recalled the backlash he had gotten after he had announced Belarus’ intention to develop its own vaccine. He also noted that there is no guarantee that the existing jabs will provide protection against new coronavirus strains.

"And we have vaccines today that work, [produced] under Russian technologies, and purchased from China. And tomorrow we will adapt our own vaccine, which we already have in a test tube to any future virus strain. Who knows what will be tomorrow," the head of state said.

On October 1, 2020, Belarus commenced immunizing volunteers with the Russian-made Sputnik V jab. Furthermore, Belarus has set up production of the Russian inoculation. In February, Belarus also procured 100,000 doses of China’s Sinopharm vaccine.

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