IRKUTSK, August 31. /TASS/. More than 2,500 volunteers have been selected to take part in the third post-registration stage of the Russian coronavirus vaccine’s trials, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko told reporters on Monday.

"The groups for post-registration monitoring are now being formed. More than 2,500 people have been chosen of the total of 40,000 to be selected," the minister said.

On August 27, Murashko announced that the supplies of the first doses of the Sputnik V vaccine to the medical facilities for post-registration research had been launched. A total of 40,000 volunteers will take part in the third stage.

On August 11, Russia became the first country across the globe to register a vaccine against the coronavirus infection, named Sputnik V. The vaccine underwent clinical trials in June-July. The vaccine was developed by the Russian Health Ministry’s Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. In all, over 160 vaccines are being developed worldwide with over 30 of them being at the stage of clinical trials on humans.