Oooo I have some things to add. What russia has done vaccine wise is create a viral vector vaccine. Without getting into too much science mumbo jumbo, viral vector vaccines have limited efficacy but are typically the least toxic and dangerous types of vaccine. The inject you with mild adenoviruses (common cold) but attach the spike protein so antibodies get in your genes and sort of prepare your body to fight a virus. Not to say that it's a vaccine in the conventional sense, but viral vector is kind of the classic approach to making the most safe type of vaccine. Think flu shot. We have a ton of experience as a world with lowering viral vectors and it stands to reason it would lower people's chance of infection some amount without harming them. But just how much Rona it would prevent and just what side effects it carries is a virtual unknown.

They did not complete a phase 3 trial...period. There are currently 6 american vaccines that have passed the first 2 phases of clinical trial (including 2 viral vectors of our own), and are in phase 3 human trials. In other words, scientifically speaking, this vaccine is behind those. They've just opted to skip testing it for side effects and how well it works because it's the safest vaccine type and probably won't hurt much, but who knows if it will help? And the key word is probably there tho. Without data, who knows? It could be toxic or carcinogenic and we just wont know until they take it and we find out.