Russia registers world’s first COVID-19 vaccine for animals | News on the coronavirus pandemic



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It is hoped that the shot will help prevent the spread of viral mutations and mass production could begin as early as April.

Russia has registered the world’s first vaccine against COVID-19 for animals, the country’s agricultural safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said on Wednesday.

Russia already has three human coronavirus vaccines, the best known of which is Sputnik V, named after Sputnik, the world’s first satellite launched by the Soviet Union.

Moscow has also given emergency approval to two other Russian-made vaccines – EpiVacCorona and CoviVac.

The animal vaccine, developed by a unit of Rosselkhoznadzor, was named Carnivac-Cov, the watchdog said.

“The clinical trials of Carnivac-Cov, which began last October, involved dogs, cats, arctic foxes, mink, foxes and other animals,” said Rosselkhoznadzor’s deputy director Konstantin Savenkov.

“The results of the trials allow us to conclude that the vaccine is harmless and highly immunogenic because all vaccinated animals developed antibodies against the coronavirus in 100% of cases.”

Immunity lasts six months after vaccination, but vaccine developers continue to analyze it, the watchdog said.

Mass production of the vaccine could start as early as April, Rosselkhoznadzor added.

Rosselkhoznadzor said the development of his vaccine would help prevent mutations in animals and cited Denmark’s decision to slaughter 15 million mink last year, after some were found to carry a variant of the mutated virus. .

“Use of the vaccine, according to Russian scientists, can prevent the development of viral mutations,” the watchdog said.

He added that breeding establishments and private companies from countries like Greece, Poland, Austria, the United States, Canada and Singapore have shown interest in Carnivac-Cov.

Military officials from Russia’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg, announced earlier this week that army dogs will undergo compulsory vaccination before being deployed to airports and participating in national WWII commemorations in May.



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