Russia discharges volunteers in virus vaccine trial

Russia on Wednesday discharged the first group of volunteers of a coronavirus vaccine trial from a military hospital outside Moscow.The vaccine, developed by the Gamalei National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, is one of several being developed in Russia amid the global rush for a vaccine.Named "Gam-COVID-Vac," it is based on a cold virus known as the adenovirus, which carries the gene for the coronavirus' spike protein into the body.

Russia's defense ministry said Wednesday that the first group of 18 volunteers to receive the vaccine had shown no negative side effects during the 28-day trial.Oleg Chikhlyaev, a medical researcher involved in the trial, said that an immunity had been established among the volunteers.Blood samples from the volunteers will be sent for further study at the Gamalei Center.

The 18 volunteers released Wednesday from Budenko Main Military Hospital had receieved two different types of the vaccine.They will receive a final checkup at the hospital.Clinical trials of the vaccine are expected to last through August with mass production of the drug to begin as early as September, Russia's health minister Tatiana Golikova was cited as saying at a briefing Monday.

(Image Credit: AP)