Russia all set to roll out world’s first coronavirus vaccine, plans mass vaccination campaign

Russia is all set to roll out the vaccine this month. Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko has announced that the Gamaleya Institute, a state research facility in Moscow, has concluded the human trials for the adenovirus-based vaccine and that the paperwork was already underway to register the vaccine.

Murashko has said that while doctors and teachers will be vaccinated this month, a much larger vacciation will be launched later this year in October, Russian media has reported.

"We plan that the coronavirus vaccination campaign will be totally covered from the budget. Accordingly, the vaccination scheme is known to all. It will be planned," he said.

Last month, Prime Minister (PM) Mikhail Mishustin said that he was hopeful that Russia will produce a reliable vaccine against COVID-19 by the fall.

To date, 845,443 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 646,524 patients having recovered from the disease.

Russia's latest data indicates 14,058 fatalities nationwide.

Last month the UK, US and Canada security services said a Russian hacking group had targeted various organisations involved in Covid-19 vaccine development, with the likely intention of stealing information.