MOSCOW, October 26. /TASS/. About 19,000 people have been administered the first component of the Sputnik V vaccine in Moscow and the Moscow Region, about 6,500 of whom have already received the second component, Director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry that developed the vaccine, Alexander Gintsburg said in an interview with the Russia-24 TV channel on Monday.

"To date, about 19,000 people have been inoculated with the first component, and about 6,500 people - with the first and the second component," he said.

The scientist added that side effects observed in the inoculated are "insignificant and fully correspond to the instruction manual for this preparation."

"Sputnik V" ("Gam-COVID-vac") was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center and passed all clinical trials. This is a two-component vaccine and should be administered twice. Repeat vaccination is recommended after a three-to-four-week interval. According to the scientist, the preparation is developed in such a way that not only antibodies to the given agent are produced but neutralizing antibodies appear as well. The titer of neutralizing antibodies in the inoculated is 1.5-2 times higher than in those who had the infection.