A small Russian town called Koltsovo with 15000 residents has come into spotlight these days because of its Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology “Vector” whose scientists recently announced that they had made 13 coronavirus vaccine prototypes and their experiments are currently ongoing.
The initial testing will be done on animals and, afterwards, analyses will be made to make sure the vaccine is harmless to humans.
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The main task of this Research Center is to scientifically resist global dangers of the infectious nature. It has the largest collection of viruses in the world, and it is being financed from the state budget.
These scientists have also been one of the first people to make the tests for COVID-19. Today, the news has gotten even better – 13 coronavirus vaccine prototypes were made in this Institute. The first trials are said to begin this June.
Vector was the first in Russia to develop tests for HIV as well as hepatitis B. They are collaborating with many immunology centers from the former USSR countries, as well as WHO (World Health Organization). There are 160 employees, 139 of them having a PhD or a Master’s degree in Science.
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Since 2013, this is where the paths of infections and virus mutations are being researched. It is said to be the only center in Russia that is fully capable of handling and contributing to the fight with viruses – Vector is one of the 6 centers chosen by the WHO to lead the fight with COVID-19.
However, manufacturing the coronavirus vaccine is not expected to start until the last quarter of 2020, due to the strict vaccine protocols that must be followed to ensure the safety of everyone. After the animal experimentations are complete, two options with the best results will be chosen, and the mass-production will begin.
