Pune: The phase II human trial of Russian Vaccine Sputnik V started at a Pune hospital with 17 volunteers being directed the first dose of vaccine. The first dose of vaccine was given between December 3 and 5 at Noble Hospital in the city.

All the volunteers went under various tests including COVID-19 and anti-body before the vaccination process. The volunteers have been given a mobile app where they have to update their status on daily basis and they have been asked to contact doctors from the hospital immediately if they face any health issues.

The Head of Clinical Research at Noble Hospital, Dr SK Raut said, "The vaccination process was going for three days. These were human trials in the second phase of vaccine development. It was completed last Saturday.”

Talking to ANI, he said, "These 17 volunteers were selected for the first dose of vaccine now. They will be under observation and then they will be given another dose of vaccine after 21 days."

The Russian vaccine will be tested at KEM Hospital in Pune. While giving information on the same, Dr Ashish Bawdekar informed the tests in the third phase will be conducted at the centre at Wadu village.

Russia became the first nation to register the world's first COVID-19 vaccine in August. Sputnik V, called after Russia's first satellite, is advanced by the Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology (GNRCEM) of the Russian Healthcare Ministry. Earlier, Russia in November agreed to produce over 100 million doses per year of Sputnik V in India.