Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered authorities to begin mass vaccinations with the Sputnik V vaccine against the new coronavirus starting next week, as the country recorded 589 new daily deaths from Covid-19.
“We are going to agree on this: he will not inform me next week, but the mass vaccination will begin … let’s get to work now,” Putin told Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova.
Golikova said large-scale vaccination could begin voluntarily in December, news agency reports Reuters.
Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko has said that more than 100,000 people had already been vaccinated against Covid-19, as Moscow presented its Sputnik V vaccine to the United Nations via a video link.
Teachers, doctors will be the first to receive the jab
Putin reportedly told health officials to begin widespread vaccinations next week, adding that Russia has produced about 2 million doses of its Sputnik V vaccine.
The Russian president also said: “I would ask you to organize the work so that by the end of next week we have started this large-scale vaccination.” Putin noted that teachers and doctors will be the first to take the hit.
Putin’s statement comes hours after the UK approved the use of Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine and said it will be launched early next week.
Earlier, Russia had announced that the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective. President Putin had ordered the authorities to begin mass voluntary vaccinations next week.
Named after the Soviet-era satellite, Sputnik V is in its third and final stage of clinical trials involving some 40,000 volunteers.
A few days ago, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. and Russia’s Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) had announced the start of adaptive phase 2/3 clinical trials for Sputnik V in India after receiving the necessary authorization from the Central Laboratory of Kasauli drugs in Himachal Pradesh.
The increase in coronavirus cases has slowed since it peaked on November 27, with 25,345 new infections reported Wednesday. Russia has resisted imposing lockdowns during the second wave of the virus, preferring specific regional restrictions.
With 2,347,401 cases, Russia has the fourth highest number of coronavirus cases in the world behind the United States, India and Brazil. It has recorded 41,053 deaths related to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.
Museums, theaters and concert halls would be closed to the public in St. Petersburg of more than 5 million people during the Russian New Year holidays, from December 30 to January 10.
With contributions from the agency
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