Israel’s Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem is involved in the development of the vaccine that Russia said it registered on Tuesday and is ready for use, its CEO revealed.

Hadassah CEO Prof. Zeev Rotstein, said in an interview on Radio 103FM on Tuesday that Hadassah’s clinic in Skolkovo, Moscow is assisting with the vaccine’s clinical trials.

“I’ll tell you a secret,” Rotstein said. “Hadassah hospital is involved in clinical research on the new Russian vaccine in Moscow, in Skolkovo, at the Hadassah hospital there. We are evaluating its safety level first of all. It will take time.”

The interviewer asked Rotstein why Russia announced the vaccine is effective before the completion of the clinical trials and Rotstein responded that the Phase 3 clinical trials are taking place at the same time as the registration of the vaccine.

“We are working in Moscow under the name Hadassah, but as Russians, not as Israelis,” Rotstein said. “They are doing a good job. They work differently from us and we’re adapting ourselves to them.”

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said on Tuesday that Israel has already arranged a discussion about the vaccine with Russia. “We are vigilantly monitoring every report, no matter which country,” Edelstein said.

“We have already discussed the reports from the research center in Russia about the development of the vaccine. If we’re convinced that it is a genuine product we will try to hold negotiations.”

Many scientists scoff at Russia’s claims as according to Western standards, Phase 3 trials are carried out for months on thousands of people to prove safety and efficiency before registering a new product or medication. Some fear that Russia’s need to prove its national prestige is taking precedence over spending the proper amount of time to ensure the vaccine’s safety.

When Russian scientists began research on developing a coronavirus vaccine, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered health officials to shorten the amount of time that clinical trials were carried out for potential vaccines. Russia announced the registration of the vaccine after less than two months of human clinical trials.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)