Russia: Mass vaccination against coronavirus started in Moscow with Sputnik V | WORLD

Distribution of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in 70 clinics began today in Moscow, marking the first mass vaccination of the population in the fight against Covid-19.

The vaccine will initially be available to doctors and other nursing staff, educators and social workers, according to the pandemic management team in the Russian capital on high alert due to the outbreak of the pandemic. as they are more likely to come into contact with the coronavirus. “You work at school and your priority is to get the COVID-19 vaccine for free,” he wrote an early morning message that a Moscow primary school teacher received on his cell phone.

Moscow is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Russia, with authorities reporting 7,993 new cases of covid-19 in the last 24 hours, far more than the estimated 700 reported in early September. “In the first five hours, 5,000 people were registered for vaccinations – teachers, doctors, social workers, ie those who put their lives and health at risk today,” wrote the mayor of Moscow. Sergei Sobyanin on his private blog yesterday Friday. Vaccination can not be vaccinated people who have some underlying disease, pregnant women and people who have had breathing problems in the last two weeks, but also people over 60 years of age.

Scientists are concerned about the rush to start vaccination in Russia

Russia has developed two vaccines for the coronavirus, Sputnik V and the other, EpiVacCorona, developed by the Siberian Vector Institute. The third phase of both tests has not been completed.

Scientists have expressed concern about the speed at which Russia has been working approving vaccines and initiating mass vaccination before Phase 3 of vaccine safety and efficacy trials are completed. Sputnik V, which is 95% effective according to preliminary results from the Gamaleya research facility, is given in two doses 21 days apart.

Moscow closed all public spaces, including parks and cafes, in late March to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. However, restrictions eased in mid-June. In total, a record number of new coronavirus cases were registered in Russia yesterday, with 28,782 new infections in the last 24 hours, compared to 27,403 reported on Friday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to over 2.4 million, according to the Athens Special Agency. In the last 24 hours, authorities have counted 508 new deaths from the coronavirus, and the total number of deaths in Russia has been 42,684.