MOSCOW, August 3. /TASS/. Russia will manufacture several million doses of coronavirus vaccines per month by the beginning of next year, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said in an interview with TASS.

According to the minister, overall production will depend, first and foremost, on the needs of the healthcare system. Serial production of the first domestic vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology is expected to begin in September.

"At the same time, according to preliminary estimates, due to the launch of contract platforms this year we will be able to ensure the production of several hundred thousand doses of vaccine per month with a subsequent increase to several million by the beginning of next year. We will do our best to make sure that these plans are implemented," he said.

According to the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, 26 coronavirus vaccine options are being developed at 17 research institutions in Russia. One vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology has already been tested on volunteers. The Vector research center of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing is developing a vaccine on six different technological platforms. The first of them is expected to be launched in September, and the second one in October 2020.