Russia’s accelerated COVID-19 vaccine greeted with alarm as experts say Phase 3 trial is essential

News that Russia has registered the first vaccine to treat COVID-19 before starting and completing Phase 3 trials was greeted with alarm on Tuesday, with experts concerned it may come with safety issues that could stoke antivaccination and anti-science sentiment.

President Vladimir Putin announced the news of the vaccine at a government meeting, The Wall Street Journal reported, following accelerated trials conducted by the Gamaleya Institute for Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow in collaboration with the Defense Ministry.

Putin said one of his daughters has already received a dose of the vaccine, which has been named Sputnik-V, referring to the satellite Russia launched into space during the Cold War, beating the U.S. to the punch.