MOSCOW, June 18. /TASS/. A group of 18 Russian servicemen have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, the Defense Ministry told reporters on Thursday.

"The first group of 18 participants of the experiment was finally selected, and on June 18 they were vaccinated," the ministry said.

Nine volunteers were injected with one component of the vaccine, and nine others with the second component.

The vaccination was carried out under control of experienced specialists from Moscow’s Burdenko hospital in full accordance with the plan. The volunteers have not shown any signs of complications or side effects. In several days the remaining volunteers, who are currently isolated and are under medical surveillance, will be vaccinated.

Vaccine trials

In early June, the Defense Ministry reported that two groups of volunteers had been selected for clinical trials. The first group consists of servicemen and the second group comprises civilians. Some 50 military personnel, including five women, were selected to test safety and effectiveness of a vaccine from various units throughout Russia. All of them are contract servicemen, warrant officers, and officers from 25 to 50 years old. Among the 50 volunteers there are 10 medical workers.

The vaccine was tested on animals at the 48th Central Research Institute of the Russian Defense Ministry where vaccines against Ebola and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), as well as a universal flu vaccine, had been studied and successfully tested.

Mass vaccination of Russian citizens against the novel coronavirus infection could be carried out this autumn and the process could take up to nine months, Director of the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology Alexander Gintsburg said.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic more than 8.3 mln people have been infected worldwide and some 445,000 people have died. To date, 561,091 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 313,963 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 7,660 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.