Posted 12 июля 2021,, 09:58

Published 12 июля 2021,, 09:58

Modified 24 декабря 2022,, 22:37

Updated 24 декабря 2022,, 22:37

Fight for vaccination: why thousands of Muscovites are queuing up for CoviVac

Fight for vaccination: why thousands of Muscovites are queuing up for CoviVac

12 июля 2021, 09:58
In Moscow, the vaccine against the coronavirus "CoviVac", is developed and produced by the Chumakov's Center. 12 thousand doses brought to the capital ended in less than a day. Why there is such a rush demand for this particular vaccine and how reasonable it is, Novye Izvestia figured it out.

Irina Mishina

The demand for the vaccine "CoviVac" turned out to be fantastic: in an hour after its delivery to 14 pavilions of "Healthy Moscow", those hungry for vaccines lined up in kilometer-long queues, despite the heat. Telegram channels report that some were selling places in the queue for the vaccine for 15 thousand rubles.

The number of "CoviVac" was really limited: no more than 850 doses at each point. Already on Sunday night, a warning appeared on information banners: the vaccine was over. Desperate people began to storm the site of the mayor of Moscow. After a while, a message appeared there that a new batch of CoviVac would soon arrive in the capital.

The excitement with "CoviVac" can only be compared with the pursuit of a deficit of the times of the USSR. Who remembers, then after hearing that the boots were thrown away, the same many kilometers queue was lined up, and many did not really know what exactly they were behind and what are the good boots that were “thrown out” to them.

“The popularity of CoviVac is based on the fact that it uses two popular post-Soviet myths at once - if there are queues for something, then“ good boots, we must take them”. And "everything was better in the USSR", since the vaccine was made according to Soviet technologies, you need to inject, and not your newfangled "vector chips"... But in fact, this is the most unexplored vaccine at the moment, and potentially dangerous, because... based on the coronavirus itself, albeit inactivated. At the same time, even experts admit that inactivated vaccines are the most ineffective of the working ... In general, it seems that interest in this vaccine is based on the fact that old technology is used, when you are injected with a virus, like during a flu shot. This is a classic inactivated vaccine, in contrast to the vector Sputnik, which uses incomprehensible and “untested” genetic engineering (although Pfizer is also her)”, - writes masterok in Livejournal.

In principle, people who were obliged to vaccinate under the threat of dismissal or who for some reason urgently need a QR code can be understood: Sputnik vaccination is a long-term event, more than 2 weeks pass between the first and second injection. In the case of the CoviVac vaccine, everything is faster: a single injection of the drug is ideal to save time, especially for those who are going on vacation to the edge of the winning QR-codes. But is it worth the risk?

Biologist, researcher of methods of treating coronavirus infection Veniamin Zaitsev-Friedshtand is skeptical about vaccinations with the CoviVac vaccine: “It is believed that it is a less harmful and more proven platform on the use of a whole inactivated virus, the technology is old and proven, but how effective is the question. Apparently, people are forced to vaccinate, and they choose the most proven, in their opinion, drug.

How well CoviVac can be considered a proven and safe vaccine is really a question. The fact is that it is made on the basis of a whole "killed" (inactivated) coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Unlike CoviVac, Sputnik V is a vector vaccine, where two different types of human adenovirus are used as a vector. A vector is a virus lacking a gene for reproduction, so it poses no danger of infection to the body. In the case of EpiVacCorona, we are talking about a platform consisting of artificially synthesized fragments of the SARS-CoV-2 virus protein.

Some time ago, in connection with the mysterious deaths of scientists who experimented with vaccines, Novye Izvestia published an opinion on Russian vaccines against coronavirus of a recognized authority in the field of Russian epidemiology, molecular biologist, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, head. laboratory of cell proliferation of the Institute of Molecular Biology of Peter Chumakov. “CoviVac is not sufficiently tested today. “EpivacCoronu” I think is generally useless, it does not provide protection, after it, protective antibodies are not produced in the body. The effectiveness of these vaccines is about 70%. "Sputnik" is a more complex and effective vaccine, its effectiveness reaches 92%, and these are quite proven figures. "Sputnik" is well tolerated by the elderly and the risk group, in young people "Sputnik" can cause side effects, there are such cases", - said Professor, Chief Researcher of the Institute of Molecular Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Pyotr Chumakov.

We asked Academician Chumakov what could be the reason for the current rush demand for CoviVac. “Only with the fact that very little of it is produced, and the day before it was announced that it appeared in five locations, but in very limited quantities. After all, we believe that if it is not enough, then this is for the elite. But in fact, this is still a little-tested vaccine, very difficult to manufacture, and giving more side effects than Sputnik", - Academician Pyotr Chumakov explained to Novye Izvestia.

The scientific world knows practically nothing about the CoviVac vaccine. There are no scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals yet, but the developers promise that they will appear soon. The third phase of trials, in which the developers must show that this vaccine can actually protect against coronavirus infection, while it goes and ends at the end of 2022. Wikipedia says about the CoviVac vaccine: “In 2020, FEDERAL STATE UNITARY ENTERPRISE "COMPANY FOR PRODUCTION OF BACTERIAL AND VIRAL PREPARATIONS OF POLIO INSTITUTE AND VIRAL ENCEPHALITES named after M.P. CHUMAKOV” began developing a vaccine against COVID-19. This is the CoviVac vaccine based on the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus with aluminum hydroxide as an adjuvant. As of December 2020, preclinical trials have been carried out and clinical trials have begun. The virus for production was isolated from a patient undergoing treatment at the branch of the Moscow City Clinical Hospital No. 40 (in Kommunarka)... The virus is inactivated, or killed, with the help of the chemical reagent beta-propiolactone. The first and second phases of clinical trials, namely the study of the tolerability, safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine, were carried out on several hundred volunteers in four cities: Yekaterinburg, Kirov, Koltsovo, St. Petersburg. As of June 12, 2021, the test results have not yet been published in any peer-reviewed scientific journal, so it is impossible to reliably assert anything about the efficacy and safety of the vaccine based on published data".

We contacted the author of this article on Wikipedia, an authoritative molecular biologist from the United States, Olga Matveyeva, and asked for an explanation of the reason for the hype around the CoviVac vaccine.

“According to preliminary results of clinical studies of the second phase, about 80% of the volunteers developed antibodies. This means that 20% of the volunteers did not develop antibodies. At the same time, the director of the Chumakov Center, Aydar Ishmukhametov, voiced slightly different data: 15% of those vaccinated by the established date, namely the 28th day after vaccination, did not develop protective antibodies. It is assumed that this may happen later”, - explained molecular biologist Olga Matveyeva.

Today, the mystery of the hype around the CoviVac vaccine remains largely unresolved. But its production in Russia will expand significantly in the near future. In addition to the Chumakov Center, Nanolek may be added to the list of CoviVac manufacturers in August. This was reported at the end of June 2021 by the TASS agency. One of the founders, as well as the president of Nanolek, is the stepson of the head of the headquarters for the fight against coronavirus, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, the son of her husband Viktor Khristenko, Vladimir Khristenko. And the owner of Nanolek LLC is the Cypriot company NANOLEK HOLDING LIMITED. The ultimate beneficiary is not known. Thus, the overwhelming desire of fellow citizens to be vaccinated with "CooviVac" is likely to expand the list of dollar billionaires "Forbes".

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