Rampant developments are being made in the world of vaccines. While Moderna Inc., University of Oxford and Indian companies like Bharat Biotech International Limited are busy with different phases of testing, the Russian vaccine is said to have cleared two important clinical trials. This could mean that it may be one of the first vaccines available for public use, reports suggest.

The news follows after Russia announced the completion of phase I/II of its vaccine and started discharging patients from the first batch.

According to experts, Russia is hopeful of starting phase III of its unnamed vaccine candidate in the country, as well as expedite the process in countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

With over 7,00,000 reported cases, Russia is the fourth-worst affected nation struck by the pandemic globally. Owing to the crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made vaccine development a priority.