Russia begins testing the efficacy of the Sputnik V vaccine in adolescents

Russia has begun clinical trials to determine the efficacy of the Sputnik V anti-COVID vaccine in adolescents, the Health Ministry said on Monday. 

The permit issued for the trials includes some 660 people aged 12-17, said the Health Ministry's head of preventive medicine in children, Leila Namzova-Baranova, according to TASS news agency. The first- and second-phase trials will take place in two Moscow hospitals, she added. 

Moscow Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova said the trials have already begun in the Russian capital in collaboration with the Gamaleya Centre, the developer of the vaccine.

According to Rakova, about 100 people have already been selected for the trials, which will last about a year and will use lower doses of Sputnik V than for adults. 

The third phase will begin in late summer and will include about 250 adolescents, according to Interfax. 

There are currently four vaccines in Russia: Sputnik V, Sputnik Light single-dose, EpiVacCorona and CoviVac, although it is the first one that is so far mainly used to vaccinate the population in the country. 

So far 25.1 million people or 17.19% of the population have been vaccinated, according to Gogov.ru, the only website which, in the absence of regular official data, publishes updated information by region. 
The epidemic situation in Russia is tense, with 24,000 to 25,000 cases per day and a peak in deaths in recent days.

Over the past day, the country has reported 24,353 new infections and 654 deaths from the disease. 

Most of the new positives were detected in Moscow (6,557), Moscow Oblast (2,651) and St Petersburg (1,828). 

Russia has the fifth highest number of coronavirus cases (5,635,294) in the world after the United States, India, Brazil and France.