MOSCOW, November 23. /TASS/. The first five volunteers aged older than 60 have been inoculated with the first dose of Russia’s EpiVacCorona vaccine as part of post-registration tests, the press service of Russia’s sanitary watchdog said on Monday.

"On November 21, 2020, the first five volunteers from among a group of 150 people older than 60 received the first dose of the EpiVacCorona vaccine," it said.

According to the sanitary watchdog, 150 volunteers older than 60 have already been selected, whereas selection of volunteers aged between 18 and 60 continues. As many as 3,000 volunteers will take part in the vaccine tests.

The vaccine was developed by the Vector State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology. On July 24, the Center received a Russian Health Ministry permit for clinical trials of its anti-coronavirus vaccine on volunteers. The first volunteer was inoculated on July 27. The final group of 20 volunteers was released from hospital on September 8. The vaccine’s clinical trials were completed on September 30. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on October 14 that the Vector-developed vaccine had received registration. On November 16, the Health Ministry issued a permit for post-registration trials of the vaccine on volunteers older than 60. On November 18, a permit was granted to conduct tests on 3,000 volunteers older than 18.