Last month, Russia announced the approval of a COVID-19 vaccine called Sputnik V. This week, President Vladimir Putin announced the approval of a second vaccine, called EpiVacCorona. As with the first, scientists have not yet tested this vaccine in phase 3 trials.

The vaccine was developed by scientists at the State Virology and Biotechnology Center, known as Vektor, in Novosibirsk. According to The Moscow Times:

“Early trials on 100 volunteers were said to have been successful.”

In a televised news conference, Putin explained that researchers had given the vaccine to Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova and the head of Russia’s consumer safety watchdog, Anna Popova, as part of ongoing trials. During the briefing, they explained that:

“Early trials on 100 volunteers were said to have been successful.”

As with Sputnik V, experts are likely to view the new vaccine with skepticism. Vaccines must be rigorously investigated before they can be used widely, and it is crucial to test their efficacy and, importantly, safety in a large group of participants.

Sputnik V is a vector vaccine, based on a human adenovirus, while EpiVacCorona is an antigen-based vaccine.

During the briefing, Golikova also announced that a third vaccine would be approved sometime in December.