Russia plans to use a vaccine that doesn't yet meet WHO standards: Though Russian government officials are crowing about the achievement, the Gamaleya Research Institute scientists behind the vaccine have yet to publish data showing their vaccine works. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute is still in the early phases of testing.
Scientific standards endorsed by the WHO ensure that any new vaccine goes through three phases of human trials before it’s approved. The first stage, typically involving fewer than a hundred participants, evaluates safety; the second provides preliminary data about efficacy. The third and final stage, which usually involves tens of thousands of participants, provides more safety information and determines whether the vaccine is effective.
