MOSCOW — Officials in Moscow say early trials of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine have started in the city among children ages 12 to 17.

Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova said Monday that 100 volunteers have been recruited who haven’t been previously infected with the coronavirus and don’t have health issues that would prevent them from getting the shots. Rakova said the youths will receive a small dose of Sputnik V than what is usually administered for adults.

The new trial comes as Russia faces a sharp surge in coronavirus infections and struggles to ramp up its low vaccine uptake. As of last week, only 23 million people, or just over 15% of the country’s 146-million population, have received at least one shot of a coronavirus vaccine.