Russian President Vladimir Putin declared victory in the global vaccine race Tuesday, announcing that the country has become the first to approve a coronavirus vaccine and that his own daughter has already been inoculated with it. Officials have pledged to vaccinate millions of people, including teachers and front-line health-care workers, with the experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow this month, raising global alarm that the country is jumping dangerously ahead of critical, large scale testing that is essential to determine if it is safe and effective.

The vaccine is named Sputnik V, a reference to the first orbital satellite, which was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957 and set off the global space race. “Of course, what counts most is for us to be able to ensure the unconditional safety of the use of this vaccine and its efficiency in the future. I hope that this will be accomplished,” Putin said at a meeting with government members Tuesday, adding that his own daughter had been inoculated with the Gamaleya vaccine.

The aggressive strategy from a country eager to declare a victory amid one of the worst outbreaks in the world has been criticized by outside scientists who worry that shots could be harmful or give people a false sense of security about their immunity. China has already authorized one vaccine for use in its military, ahead of definitive data that it is safe and effective.

“This is changing the rules. This is cutting corners,” said J. Stephen Morrison, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “It’s a major development, and it starts with Putin. He needs a win. “It’s hearkening [back to] the Sputnik moment. It’s hearkening back to the glory days of Russian science, it’s putting the Russian propaganda machine into full gear. I think this could backfire.”

Race to be first

The international jockeying to get vaccines into people’s arms has sharpened concerns about vaccine nationalism, in which countries’ need to declare victory over the pandemic could bypass longstanding safeguards to protect people from unproven medical products by ensuring that their benefits outweigh the risks. For Russia, leading the vaccine race is an avenue for greater geopolitical clout. But the country is also looking to avoid appearing dependent on Western powers, with whom relations are historically poor, analysts said.

Last month, security officials from the United States, Britain and Canada accused hackers linked to a Russian intelligence service of trying to steal information from researches working to produce coronavirus vaccines in those countries.