Russia aims mass COVID-19 vaccination from October

MOSCOW

Russia is preparing to start a mass vaccination campaign against the novel coronavirus from October, the country's health minister said on Saturday.

The vaccination will be free of charge, and doctors and teachers would be the first to be vaccinated, Mikhail Murashko told reporters.

People will be immunized with the first Russian vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Centre, which is currently in process of getting the state registration, Murashko said.

However, clinical trials of the vaccine will continue along with its production and use in order to improve it as more details emerge.

The first Russian vaccine is based on adenovirus.

Another vaccine developed by the Defense Ministry is expected to get the same “conditional registration” in September and its production is likely to be launched in October, while two more vaccines are being examined by experts for approval of clinical trials.