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Coronavirus pandemic

Four COVID-19 vaccines proven to be safe, Russian PM says

The prime minister noted that 17 scientific and research institutions in the country were developing the vaccine

© Alexander Ryumin/TASS

MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/. Four vaccines against the coronavirus have proven to be safe and tests on two more vaccines are at their final stage, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told the parliament, the State Duma, on Wednesday reporting on the government’s work.

"Four vaccines today have proven to be safe, according to Rospotrebnadzor [Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing] and clinical trials on two others are at their final stage. This is the Gamaleya Center and the Defense Ministry. Two [facilities] are also preparing to start trials, these are Vector and the Scientific Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums.

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Russia’s first COVID-19 vaccine ready, deputy defense minister says

The prime minister stressed that 17 scientific and research institutions in the country were developing the vaccine today, including the Ministry of Education and Science, the Health Ministry, the Federal Medical-Biological Agency and the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing. "There are more than 26 types of the vaccine," Mishustin said.

According to Mishustin, Russia’s healthcare system during the coronavirus pandemic proved that it was ready for challenges. "When I see how doctors and the heads of medical institutions are working, I want to say that it is ready and there is some reserve," the prime minister said.

In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.

On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 14,874,200 people have been infected worldwide and more than 613,600 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 8,929,200 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.

To date, 783,328 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 562,384 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 12,580 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.

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