Germany says Russian COVID-19 vaccine has not been sufficiently tested

FILE PHOTO: German Health Minister Jens Spahn holds a news conference on the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Germany, in Berlin, Germany August 6, 2020. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Health Minister Jens Spahn on Wednesday said Russia's COVID-19 vaccine had not been sufficiently tested, adding the aim was to have a safe product rather than just being first to start vaccinating people.

President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday that Russia had become the first country to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing.