Russia registers world's 1st COVID vaccine for animals

MOSCOW

Russia registered the first coronavirus vaccine for animals in the world, the country's veterinary regulator said on Wednesday.

The vaccine was developed for carnivorous animals, said Konstantin Savenkov, deputy head of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rosselkhoznadzor).

The trials of the vaccine, named CarnivacCov, started last October, and it was tested on dogs, cats, arctic foxes, minks, foxes, and other animals, Savenkov said.

The results of the studies showed that the vaccine is harmless and 100% effective, he explained, adding that all the vaccinated animals developed antibodies to the coronavirus.

"The CarnivacCov vaccine against coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in carnivorous animals, developed by the Federal Center for Animal Health Protection, subordinated to the Rosselkhoznadzor, is registered in Russia. It is the first and, to date, the only COVID-19 prophylactic drug in the world for animals," he said.

According to Savenko, Greece, Poland, Austria, the US, Canada, and Singapore showed their interest in the vaccine.

Explaining the need for the vaccine for animals, Savenko recalled that it was revealed animals can be bearers of the virus and that many countries registered cases of mass animal infections.

"The use of the vaccine, according to Russian scientists, can prevent the development of mutations of the virus, which most often occur during interspecies transmission of the pathogen. At the same time, it is worth noting that there is no scientific evidence of the transmission of the coronavirus from animals to humans, as the World Health Organization repeatedly reported," he said.

The cases of animal infections with the coronavirus were reported in a number of countries with the biggest known outbreaks registered at mink farms in Denmark, the US, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.