Russia to begin Covid-19 vaccine trials next week on 40,000 people

Mass testing of Russia's first potential Covid-19 vaccine to get domestic regulatory approval will involve more than 40,000 people and will be overseen by a foreign research body when it starts next week, backers of the project said on Thursday. These were the first details on the shape and size of the upcoming late-stage trial of the vaccine given by its developers, who are aiming to allay concerns among some scientists about the lack of data provided by Russia so far.

The vaccine, called "Sputnik V" in homage to the world's first satellite launched by the Soviet Union, has