Russia is considering giving its doctors and teachers first doses of vaccination against coronavirus by the end of August, a report cited Russian Health Minister as saying. The minister reportedly also said that Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, a state research facility in Moscow, had completed clinical trials of the vaccine and paperwork is in progress to register it.
“The vaccine against coronavirus infection, developed by the Gamaleya Institute, has completed clinical trials," Murashko told reporters, answering a question about whether the clinical trials of the vaccine are officially completed, reports news agency Sputnik.
He also said that the country is preparing a mass vaccination campaign against the novel coronavirus for October.
"We plan wider vaccinations for October," Murashko was quoted as saying, Reuters reported.
Several candidates for the coronavirus vaccine are undergoing clinical trials and showing promising results. If what the Russian Minister is saying has any truth to it, this vaccine would be the first effective COVID-19 vaccine which is ready to use on public.
Earlier, Russia said that it plans to register a coronavirus vaccine as soon as 10 August to 12 August, which can also be touted as the world's first Covid-19 vaccine.
Russia is fourth in the list of countries with most number of COVID-19 cases, only behind the USA, Brazil and India.
