Russia has become the first country to approve a vaccine for covid-19. This comes after less than two months after it started the human testing phase of the vaccine.
"As far as I know, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection was registered this morning," said President Vladimir Putin..
Putin delivered the good news on state television during a government meeting.
"I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks," said Putin.
“One of my daughters did the inoculation herself,” he said. “After the first injection, her temperature went up to 38, but by the next day it was just a little over 37.”
Putin said trials for the vaccine will continue while it is being produced.
According to Russian authorities, medical workers, teachers and other risk groups will be the first to get the vaccine.
Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said the vaccine has been "proven to be highly effective and safe", but this doesn't seem to be the case.
The Russian vaccine has not yet been listed as one of the six vaccines that have reached phase three of clinical trials, according to a list made by the World Health Organisation's (WHO).
The WHO said it will be reviewing the vaccine to see if it can be added to the list and stand a chance to be used worldwide.
