OREANDA-NEWS. In Moscow, the third phase of a clinical trial of the COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik M for adolescents has started, in which three thousand people aged 12-17 years old will take part, Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development, told reporters.

"In Moscow, on the basis of 10 polyclinics and two children's hospitals, the third phase of a clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents has started. Three thousand children aged 12-17 will participate," Rakova said.

She recalled that this summer, on the basis of two children's hospitals in the capital, they began the first and second phases of clinical research, which will last a year.

"The preliminary results allow us to make a conclusion about the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine. Based on the results of observation of adolescents in the first two phases of the N.F. M "is the same two-component Sputnik V vaccine for people over 18 years of age, but in a lower dosage - 1/5 of an adult," Rakova said.

The Sputnik M coronavirus vaccine, being developed for adolescents, is similar in composition to Sputnik V, but is optimized for age in order to obtain optimal efficacy with minimal reactogenicity, said the head of the laboratory of mechanisms of population variability of pathogenic microorganisms at the Center. Gamalei Vladimir Gushchin.

He explained that the Center. Gamalei conducted a clinical study, all the necessary data were obtained in order to expect that in the near future the experts of the Ministry of Health will complete the examination and a positive decision will be made on the use of Sputnik M.

"This is a drug very similar in composition to Sputnik V, but specially optimized for adolescents in order to obtain optimal efficiency with minimal reactogenicity ... The most important thing is to choose a composition that will provide the best combination of good qualities," he explained.