Coronavirus vaccine pre-orders top 5 billion in worldwide scramble for supplies
- From Japan to Brazil, nations move to secure vaccines, while Russia claims world first with Sputnik V
- Trump announces US$1.5 billion deal with Moderna for 100 million doses
Although none of the coronavirus vaccines under development has proved its efficacy yet in clinical trials, at least 5.7 billion doses have been pre-ordered around the world.
First shipments of a Covid-19 vaccine created by Western laboratories have often been snapped up by the United States.
Six vaccines are in phase 3 efficacy trials involving thousands of people.
In a surprise announcement, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Tuesday that a vaccine dubbed “Sputnik V” – after the Soviet satellite – conferred “sustainable immunity” against the novel coronavirus.
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Russia approves ‘world’s first’ Covid-19 vaccine, President Vladimir Putin says
As research laboratories around the world race to develop a vaccine, manufacturers have received financing to help them prepare to have millions of doses ready to administer in 2021 or even before the end of the year.