Putin announced that Russia approved a COVID-19 vaccine — and gave it to his daughter — despite serious concerns over its safety

• Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had approved a COVID-19 vaccine, the world's first.
• 'I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks,' Putin said on Tuesday.
• The move has raised concerns because it has not yet undergone Phase III trials, which are considered essential to guarantee the safety of a vaccine.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin says his government has approved the world's first coronavirus vaccine, and even given his daughter a shot of the treatment, despite concerns that the product has not been properly tested.

"I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks," Putin said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

He said he hoped Russia would soon start mass-producing the vaccine, and added that one of his two daughters had been given the treatment.

The Russian health ministry's move to roll out the so-called Gamaleya vaccine as quickly as possible has raised concerns because it has not yet undergone Phase III trials, which are considered essential to guarantee the safety of a vaccine.

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