MASS TESTING! RUSSIA'S 'SPUTNIK V' VACCINE TO FINALLY START ADVANCED TRIAL ON 40,000 PEOPLE - REPORT 

A week after registering to be "world's first COVID-19 vaccine", Russia is all set to start the advanced trial to get domestic regulatory approval. As per the TASS news agency,  the phase III trial will involve more than 40,000 people. 

Earlier on August 11, Russia declared that it had become the first country to approve a vaccine against novel coronavirus. The vaccine was developed by Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian defence ministry; it has been dubbed as Sputnik V. 

As per News18 reports, Russia registered the vaccine after less than two months of human testing. Even, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that one of his daughters had been inoculated with the vaccine. 

“I know it has proven efficient and forms a stable immunity, and I would like to repeat that it has passed all the necessary tests," Putin said. 

Soon after the news went viral about the vaccine, the world raised questions on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine developed by Russia. 

Also, the vaccine, called “Sputnik V” is named after the world’s first satellite launched by the Soviet Union. It has been hailed as safe and effective by Russian authorities and scientists following two months of small-scale human trials, while the results of which have not been made public yet, News18 further reported.

However, the World Health Organization’s Europe office said it has begun discussions with Russia to try to obtain more information about the experimental COVID-19 vaccine the country recently approved.