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Coronavirus pandemic

COVID-19 vaccine presented at military-technical Army forum

The vaccine is designated for the 18-60 age group

KUBINKA /Moscow Region/, August 25. /TASS/. Military medics presented the Gam-COVID-Vac (the Sputnik V trademark) vaccine against the coronavirus developed with the participation of the experts of Russian Defense Ministry’s 48th Central Research Institute at the International Military-Technical Army Forum. It is displayed at the museum dedicated to 400 years of military medicine opened at the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Center, a TASS onsite correspondent reported.

The packages and vials of the two components are on display as well as the administration manual. According to the manual, the vaccine has been obtained by biotechnological means without using the SARS-CoV-2 virus pathogenic to humans. It is noted that the preparation is "represented by a dense hardened whitish mass." It should be supplied in frozen form.

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The vaccine is designated for the 18-60 age group. It is contraindicated to pregnant women, children, people with the history of severe allergic reactions, acute illnesses and hypersensitivity to the components. The second component is not to be administered in case of serious complications after the introduction of the first one.

As the manual notes, trials to study the vaccine’s compatibility with other pharmaceuticals and the ability to operate road vehicles haven’t been conducted yet.

On August 11, Russia became the first worldwide to register the vaccine against the coronavirus which was named Sputnik V. The preparation was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry and passed clinical trials in June - July. It is based on a known platform previously used for other vaccines. On August 15, the Healthcare Ministry announced the production launch of the vaccine.

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