NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s QazCovid-In vaccine has received a temporary registration for nine months, according to the Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Medical and Pharmaceutical Control of the Ministry of Healthcare Nurlybek Assylbekov who spoke at a Jan. 13 briefing.
The ministry is working to ensure access to all possible vaccines, but “currently the Kazakh market is ready only for the QazCovid-In and Russian vaccines.”
As of Jan. 11, more than 3,000 volunteers received the QazCovid-In vaccine. Now they are being observed by researchers.
“Interim results from the first and second phases showed good indicators. The clinical trial of the third phase started Dec. 25. There is no data yet,” Assylbekov said.
More than 10,000 doses were produced in the third phase. According to the previous results, the Kazakh vaccine demonstrated an effectiveness of 96 percent.
Kazakhstan started the human trials of the QazCovid-In vaccine in September 2020 after the Kazakh Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems developed an inactivated vaccine.
At the moment, preparatory work is underway to register the Russian Sputnik vaccine. The vaccine is expected to be available by the end of February.
“Kazakhstan has produced the experimental Russian Sputnik vaccine which was sent to the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia, as part of the approval process. It is still under consideration. If trials yield positive results, the Karaganda pharmaceutical plant will produce this vaccine,” said Assylbekov.
Last year, Kazakhstan approved the rules for the temporary state registration of vaccines against COVID-19 that are produced in Kazakhstan. An expert commission studies the documents on safety, quality and effectiveness of the vaccine and assesses its compliance with the principles of independence and objectivity. Based on these recommendations, the authorized state body decides on temporary state registration of the vaccine for a period of nine months or refusal of temporary state registration of the vaccine.
Earlier this week, Vice Minister of Healthcare and chief state sanitary doctor Yerlan Kiyasov informed the public that Kazakhstan has entered the yellow zone for the spread of COVID-19 and a new strain of coronavirus has not been registered in the country.
