"The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, announces the delivery of the first batch of the Russian vaccine against coronavirus, Sputnik V, to the Republic of Belarus", the fund said in a press release.
The vaccination of volunteers will begin on 1 October as "part of double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine", the press release read.
The Russian sovereign wealth fund is financing the clinical trials in Belarus.
"Belarus has become the first country to start clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine after its registration in Russia. Clinical trials will be carried out in eight medical institutions selected as research centres in Belarus", the press release read.
The RDIF spokesperson specified in comments to Sputnik that the fund had supplied 120 doses of the vaccine to Belarus.
Countries have been developing dozens of vaccines since the start of the outbreak earlier this year, but none have passes WHO phase 3 trials so far. The vaccine developed by Russia's Gamaleya Research Institute for Virology and Microbiology, Sputnik V, is so far the furthest ahead in its clinical trials compared to vaccines developed in other countries. According to the health ministry, Sputnik V is safe and has proven to be capable of building immunity against the virus.
Many vaccines are expected to be registered with the WHO by the end of the year.
