OREANDA-NEWS. Russia has registered the world's first and only vaccine against COVID-19 for animals "Karnivak-Kov". Konstantin Savenkov, Deputy Head of Rosselkhoznadzor, told reporters about it.

The drug was developed by the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Federal Center for Animal Health" (FGBI "ARRIAH"), subordinate to the service.

The deputy head of the department said that dogs, cats, polar foxes, minks, foxes and other animals were involved in clinical trials of the new vaccine Karnivak-Kov, which started in October last year. The results of the studies allow us to conclude that the vaccine is harmless and its high immunogenic activity, since all tested vaccinated animals in 100 percent of cases developed antibodies to coronavirus.

Now scientists of the Rosselkhoznadzor continue to study how long immunity is developed after the administration of the drug. According to Savenkov, so far this figure is at least six months.

He added that as early as April, mass production of the vaccine could be launched on the basis of the country's largest platform for the production of drugs for animals, the Federal Center for Animal Health.

The deputy head of the Rosselkhoznadzor explained that the vaccine is of particular importance, since, as noted by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), some animal species are susceptible to coronavirus, and cases of COVID-19 have been reported in many countries.