Moscow outpatient clinics No. 2, No. 220, and No. 62 have received the first batch of a vaccine against the coronavirus, Deputy Moscow Mayor Anastasia Rakova told reporters.
“Today Moscow medical institutions received the first batch of a vaccine against the coronavirus for post-registration trials. Municipal outpatient clinics No.2, No. 220, and No. 62 became pioneers. The medical institutions are completely ready for the study launch which will begin next week,” she said.
The deputy mayor noted that the vaccine is stored under certain conditions, due to which special freezers capable of maintaining a temperature as low as minus 40 degrees centigrade were purchased for the clinics. As early as today Moscow residents can apply to participate in the study and be the first to obtain the vaccine.
The clinics conducting the study are accredited by Russia’s Healthcare Ministry to hold clinical trials. The specialists will conduct screenings to determine possible contraindications. During six months the participants of the study will be under constant medical observation, including through the use of telemedicine technologies.
“The Moscow government and the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry invite the residents of the capital to take part in post-registration clinical trials of the vaccine against COVID-19. 40,000 people are invited. The vaccination is free of charge,” the deputy mayor added.
Adult citizens of the Russian Federation with the Moscow health insurance policy may participate provided they didn’t have an acute respiratory infection two weeks before the study, are not sick at the moment of inoculation, did not have the COVID-19 infection (with negative results of the PCR test and a negative test for IgМ and IgG antibodies) and did not contact with COVID-19 cases for at least two weeks prior to the study.
Women need to produce a negative pregnancy test. Another must for both women and men is that they should not be trying to conceive within the next three months.
The study is to help obtain a permanent registration certificate for the vaccine and expand the circle of its potential recipients, including the age group of over 60 years. The study will last for 180 days.BSS/TASS, Moscow
