Coronavirus: Moscow will start applying Sputnik V is …

Even though the president Vladimir Poutine yesterday asked its officials to start mass vaccination of Sputnik V against the coronavirus next week, now Moscow said it will start this Saturday, starting with health workers, social service workers and teachers.

The news was confirmed by the mayor, Sergei Sobianin. “All the technological and organizational infrastructure has already been created. Specialized storage facilities have been selected and refrigerators and refrigerated containers have been prepared for the supply of vaccines,” Sobianin wrote on his blog.

Sobianin reported that An electronic vaccination register has already been opened as of Friday November 4 “to test the enormous mechanism of mass vaccination”. In principle, only “teachers, health workers and social service workers in the city” can register, he said. One day later, on Saturday 5th, the vaccination points will start working.

The mayor of the Russian capital stressed that in the coming weeks, with the arrival of “large quantities” of vaccines, the list of people who can be vaccinated will be expanded and “therefore, vaccination will be accessible to all residents of the capital”.

Putin explained on Wednesday that around 2 million doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine will soon be produced, allowing for large-scale vaccination. According to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko on Wednesday, more than 100,000 people belonging to risk groups have already been vaccinated in the country.

Voluntary and free

Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Gólikova, responsible for coordinating the fight against the coronavirus, stressed that the vaccination with Sputnik V, registered in Russia last August, will be voluntary and free for Russians.

The Gamaleya Center, developer of the vaccine, and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (FIDR), assured last week that the vaccine is over 95% effective and costs about $ 20 for the two doses needed.

Russia is also working on mass distribution of another vaccine, EpiVacCorona, developed by the Véktor State Research Center for Virology and Biotechnology, which was registered in Russia in October but whose results from phase III clinical trials for effectiveness are still have not been published.

A third Russian vaccine from the Chumakov Center is preparing for phase III clinical trials.