President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin has instructed authorities to move forward with mass coronavirus inoculation for all Russians starting next week. It was reported by TASS.
"We have already started large-scale vaccination. Last week, Prime Minister reported to me that the industry had not only kept up with the promised targets and volumes but also exceeded the planned vaccine production targets. We need to move from large-scale to mass vaccination," Putin told a cabinet meeting.
"I ask you to launch mass vaccination for the whole population starting next week and come up with the respective schedule of work, as is done with other infections like flu," he added.
Vaccination against coronavirus started in Russia in early December 2020. First of all, they began to vaccinate citizens from the main risk groups: doctors, teachers, social workers. Then - employees of cultural institutions, trade and service enterprises, construction workers, volunteers, students, employees of the banking and financial sectors, authorities and budgetary institutions.
As we reported earlier, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba claimed he would oppose the idea of use of Sputnik-V vaccine in Ukraine - even if the vaccine's efficiency was clinically proven.
"As a member of the government, I would reject such decision. Because Russia doesn't care about health of Ukrainians, it cares about forcing its own propagandist cliches and ideology via the supplies of the vaccine... even if it was efficient," he said.