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Coronavirus pandemic

First batch of Russian anti-coronavirus vaccine delivered to St. Petersburg

The pilot delivery will test logistics chains, distribution techniques and the organization of the vaccination campaign among risk groups

ST. PETERSBURG, September 14. /TASS/. The first batch of Russia’s anti-coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V has been delivered to Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg, the press service of the city’s deputy governor Oleg Ergashev said on Monday.

"At this stage, we are testing the mechanism of the vaccine delivery. The city is among the first Russian regions to receive the Sputnik V vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Center," it said, adding that the batch was delivered to the city’s hospital No.40.

According to the press service, the pilot delivery will test logistics chains, distribution techniques and the organization of the vaccination campaign among risk groups.

"The hospital’s specialists received instructions from the Gamaleya Center on special conditions of the vaccine storage and transportation. Thus, the vaccine should be kept in a temperature of lower than minus 18 degrees Centigrade," the press service noted.

St. Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov said earlier that the city would receive several dozens of the vaccine doses to inoculate medics.

On August 11, Russia registered the world’s first vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The vaccine, dubbed Sputnik V, was developed by the Gamalei National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry, and its clinical trials were successfully completed in June-July. The vaccine was developed on a platform that had been used for a number of other vaccines. According to the Russian health ministry, these vaccines have proved their ability to form lasting immunity for a period of up to two years.

According to the latest update, St. Petersburg has reported an overall of 39,475 confirmed coronavirus cases, being third among other Russian regions in terms of coronavirus morbidity after Moscow and the Moscow region. As many as 27,190 patients in St. Petersburg have recovered, and 2,650 have died.

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