Moscow:The COVID-19 vaccine that Russia registered on Tuesday is expected to enter into civilian circulation on January 1, 2021, the media reported, citing the registration certificate.
Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said that teachers and medical workers will be the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine jointly developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian Defence Ministry, the Tass news agency reported.
"We will begin the stage-by-stage civilian use of the vaccine. First and foremost, we would like to offer vaccination to those who come into contact with infected persons at work. These are medical workers. And also those who are responsible for children's health - teachers," the minister was quoted as saying.
The Russian Health Minister said that two sites - the Gamaleya Research Institute and pharmaceutical company Binnopharm JSC - will be used for producing the vaccine.
Read |Putin's daughter receives dose of world's first COVID-19 vaccine
The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, said that the country has received requests for one billion doses of the vaccine.
"We see a great interest abroad towards the Russian vaccine produced by the Gamaleya Research Institute. We have received preliminary requests for the purchase of over 1 billion doses of the vaccine from 20 states," Dmitriev was quoted as saying.