Clinical trial of smallpox vaccine concludes in Russia

Moscow, Jul 13 (Prensa Latina) Russia's Vector Center for Virology and Biotechnologies has completed clinical trials of a fourth-generation vaccine against smallpox, the press service of this institution reported on Wednesday.

“OrtopoxVac is a world-class technologically advanced medicine and will help curb the spread of smallpox and other orthopoxvirus infections,” the Center said on its website.

Moreover, the scientific agency attached to the Russian national consumer protection office Rospotrebnadzor specified that they presented the documents for the registration of the drug inMay.

Experts from this research agency added that OrtopoxVac is based on the live attenuated smallpox vaccine virus, forms stable immunity and has a high safety profile.

Rospotrebnadzor previously reported that Russia has vaccinated a high level of the population against smallpox to mitigate the spread of the monkeypox variant in the country.

The regulator warned that getting vaccinated against this virus decreases the risks of severe monkeypox symptoms, since all poxviruses confer good cross-immunity.

On Tuesday, Russia reported the detection of the first imported case of monkeypox, in a young man with rashes in a medical center after returning from a trip to Europe.