Russia vaccine study data ‘highly unlikely’ to be correct — experts

The Lancet medical journal says it has asked authors of a study on a potential Russian COVID-19 vaccine for clarifications after their research came under scrutiny.

Russia announced last month that its vaccine, named “Sputnik V” after the Soviet-era satellite that was the first launched into space in 1957, had already received approval. This raised concerns among Western scientists over a lack of safety data, with some warning that moving too quickly on a vaccine could be dangerous.

Russian researchers published their trial findings last week in the Lancet, meaning their research had undergone review from a selection of their peers.

It said that the vaccine had proven to be “safe and well-tolerated” among a few dozen volunteers.

However an open letter signed this week by more than 30 Europe-based experts cast doubt on the findings, pointing towards “potential data inconsistencies.”

The researchers identified what they said appeared to be a number of duplications in figures presented and concluded that the data within the study was “highly unlikely” to be correct.

— AFP