Philippine President Duterte volunteers for trial of Russia's COVID-19 vaccine

Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on August 11 said that he will be the first one to test the Russian made potential COVID-19 vaccine once it arrives in the country. Duterte confirmed this during a briefing on Tuesday while accepting Russia's offer for a clinical trial of their vaccine against COVID-19 to determine if it is safe to use among Flipinos or not. Duterte reportedly said that he will publicly volunteer to receive the first dose of the vaccine and will be the first one in the country to be experimented upon. 

Read: Russia Announces 'world's First' COVID-19 Vaccine, Vladimir Putin's Daughter Inoculated

According to reports, Duterte further expressed his gratitude to Russia for its offer of vaccines against COVID-19. The President also acknowledged the strong ties between the Philippines and Russia. According to reports, after Duterte's announcement of becoming a test subject for Russia's COVID-19 vaccine, the Russian Direct Investment Fund said it was ready to conduct the clinical trials in the country. The Philippines government is also cooperating with other nations in vaccine development. According to government data, the Philippines has so far recorded 1,39,538 cases, of which 2,312 people have died. 

Read: Russia To Begin Mass Production Of Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine In September

Russia announces vaccine

The Russian vaccine is developed at the Gamaleya institute in Moscow and authorities in the former Soviet Union are planning to start mass production by September. Scientists in Russia have controversially claimed that they will be the first country to develop a COVID-19 vaccine in the world, even comparing it with the space-race between the United States and USSR, when the latter sent the first satellite into space. According to reports, researchers and scientists working on the vaccine at Gamaleya institute months ago injected the prototype into themselves, garnering criticism from the international health community for rushing human trials.

Read: Expert Committee On COVID-19 Vaccine Administration To Meet On Wednesday

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