MOSCOW, December 20. /TASS/. Russia plans to vaccinate people above 60 years of age against COVID-19 next week, the country’s Health Minister Mikhail Murashko announced in an interview with the news program on Rossiya-1 TV channel on Sunday.

"Yes, we hope so," the health minister stated in response to the question, whether the elderly people’s vaccination could begin next week.

According to him, the vaccine’s clinical trials on people aged above 60 are now nearing end.

"We would recommend that regions also engage patients with diabetes in vaccination," Murashko said.

On August 11, Russia was the first in the world to register a coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry. Later, the Novosibirsk-based Vector State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing registered another domestic vaccine. A third vaccine created by the Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products of the Russian Academy of Sciences may be registered soon.