Mexico to take part in clinical trials of Russian COVID-19 v

Workers sanitize a hall of a movie theater in Mexico City, Mexico, Aug. 12, 2020. Some movie theaters in Mexico City have reopened to the public with epidemic prevention measures in place. (Photo by Israel Rosas/Xinhua)

Special:

Mexico has been offered at least 2,000 doses of a Russian COVID-19 vaccine and is to take part in its clinical trials, said Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Thursday.

This is "very good news because once again we are gaining time," said Ebrard.

Ebrard and Russian Ambassador to Mexico Viktor Koronelli met on Wednesday to discuss Mexico's participation in testing the "Sputnik V" vaccine developed by Russia's Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology.

"It will arrive in Mexico to begin testing. I will announce the date very soon, but yesterday both the offer and the acceptance were formalized," Ebrard said.

Mexico has agreed to help produce a COVID-19 vaccine for Latin America developed by Britain's Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, said Ebrard.

Phase three trials of a vaccine developed by U.S. pharmaceutical firm Johnson &Johnson are likely to begin in September, he added.

Mexico has registered more than 537,000 COVID-19 cases with over 58,000 deaths, according to Mexican health authorities.