--- title: "Russia Says It Has Approved an Untested COVID Vaccine" description: "Throwing caution to the wind, Russian president Vladimir Putin has announced the country has approved a coronavirus vaccine that isn't done being tested." date: "2020-08-11" modified: "2020-08-11" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/russia-says-it-has-approved-a-covid-vaccine" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "Russia" - "vaccine" - "vaccines" --- # Russia Says It Has Approved an Untested COVID Vaccine ![]() *Image via Pixabay/Victor Tangermann* Russian president Vladimir Putin has announced that the country has approved a coronavirus vaccine, becoming the first country in the world to do so. Throwing caution to the wind, the vaccine has yet to complete Phase 3 trials, a vital step most experts believe is critical to proving a vaccine both safe and effective. Just last week, the World Health Organization reiterated the need for caution, [warning Russia directly]() to not stray from the usual testing to ensure the safety. The move is likely a claim to victory for Putin. Yet, no peer-reviewed evidence has yet to surface of the approved vaccine being safe. “It works effectively enough, forms a stable immunity and, I repeat, it has gone through all necessary tests,” Putin said during a Tuesday morning meeting, as [quoted by *The New York Times*](). He also extended thanks to the scientists behind the efforts and for “this first, very important step for our country, and generally for the whole world.” Putin also announced that one of his daughters took the vaccine. Officials [have also told *CNN*]() that at least 20 countries and some US companies expressed interest in the vaccine. The vaccine was approved, but Phase 3 trials, generally the final stage of testing involving tens of thousands of participants, are only starting tomorrow. That's a massive red flag to experts. "The collateral damage from release of any vaccine that was less than safe and effective would exacerbate our current problems insurmountably," Danny Altmann, Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London, [told the *Science Media Centre*](). “This is a reckless and foolish decision," Francois Balloux, Professor of Computational Systems Biology at University College London said, according to the *Science Media Centre*. "Mass vaccination with an improperly tested vaccine is unethical," Balloux added. "Any problem with the Russian vaccination campaign would be disastrous both through its negative effects on health, but also because it would further set back the acceptance of vaccines in the population." ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()