Belarus plans to launch mass production of the Sрutnik V anti-coronavirus vaccine on March 30-31. A pilot batch is being examined by experts in Russia, Belarusian Deputy Health Minister Dmitry Cherednichenko said on Sunday.

Axar.az reports that this was reported by foreign media.

"The first batch, the so-called validation batch of 15,000 ampoules, was manufactured on February 26. Now it is being examined at the Russian Gamaleya Institute (the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry - TASS) for sustainability, efficacy, etc. We will begin to manufacture the vaccine from March 30-31. It is planned to make 500,000 doses a month," he said in an interview with the ONT television channel.

According to Cherednichenko, the key goal is to satisfy the domestic demand. "First of all, we need to vaccinate the entire population of our country. When we have a possibility for exporting the vaccine, we will supply it abroad. It is envisaged by the contract," he said.