Russia set to release second COVID-19 vaccine

A second Russian Covid-19 vaccine is on the way which 'avoids the side-effects of the first one' launched in a blaze of publicity by Vladimir Putin this month, the Daily Mail reports.

The new drug is said to be from a former top-secret Soviet biological weapons research plant in Siberia, now a world-leading virology institute.

Clinical trials of Russia's second vaccine named EpiVacCorona will be completed in September but 57 volunteers who used as human guinea-pigs report no side-effects, scientists said.

'All inoculated volunteers are feeling well. To date, the first vaccination was administered to 57 volunteers, while 43 received a placebo,' said Russia's main health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor.

The volunteers have been hospitalised for 23 days as they undergo tests, reported Interfax.

"All volunteers are well. No adverse reactions have been detected so far."

The vaccine aims to produce an immune response after two injections administered 14 to 21 days apart.

The Russians hope to have it registered by October and in production by November.