Russia has announced the development of an effective COVID-19 vaccine, which President Vladimir Putin has named Sputnik V.

Bless his heart. Already in the final phase of human trials, the vaccine has raised concerns that the lab behind the vaccine, the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow, may have cut corners in trying to beat the clock.

The vaccine’s name tells most of the story. Sputnik, of course, refers to the then-Soviet Union’s first manmade satellite, which was launched October 4, 1957.

About the size of a beach ball, Sputnik orbited Earth for about three weeks before its batteries died. After circling silently for another two months, the orb finally re-entered the Earths’ atmosphere and rolled into history’s dustbin. It didn’t matter; the Soviets were most pleased to have left the U.S. fumbling at the launchpad.

Rivalry was a powerful motivator, and at the time the Soviets and Americans were competing to develop rocket, engine and re-entry technologies. Today, the egos have just expanded commensurate to the challenge of stopping a deadly virus that is galloping around the globe.

As a point of pride, Putin pointed out that one of his own daughters has taken the vaccine and suffered only a slight, short-lived, temperature increase. That sounds convincing, doesn’t it? My daughter didn’t die, so it’s all good.

Clinical trial volunteers are surely the bravest and most selfless of souls, or, as in Putin’s trials, “volunteers” and military personnel. The human studies began on June 17 with 76 volunteers, half of whom received a liquid form of the vaccine, the other half a soluble powder. Putin’s claims that the vaccine is safe has so far not convinced other health and research authorities, including the World Health Organization.

Putin could have truly found the magic formula, of course, especially if Russian hackers stole vaccine research from Western labs. The United States, Britain and Canada claimed last month that Russian hackers were attempting to do just that.

Putin is like any other former KGB empire-monger. His ambitions can be summed up in the words he used to describe his dog when he introduced the gigantic beast to then-President George W. Bush: “Bigger, stronger, faster,” said Putin. Bush saw a useful metaphor that he packed away as a reminder for future dealings.

To wit: When the coronavirus hit Russia, Putin ordered officials to speed up vaccine development and, one may infer, create a concoction bigger, stronger, and faster than all the rest.

We won’t have long to wait and see what a mass vaccination looks like. Large-scale production of Sputnik V is slated to begin next month, with vaccinations possibly in early October. First in line will be — yikes — doctors, maybe as soon as September. Putin stresses they will be volunteers.

The real test, of course, would be for Putin himself to accept the first injection of the mass-produced vaccine. Maybe his other daughter could join him.

As for me, I’ll be waiting until after the revisions and corrections have been made.

© 2020 Washington Post Writers