Vladimir Putin launches vaccination campaign for the entire population -

Alexei Nikolsky / AP / SIPA

Affirming that the Russian vaccine is the “best”, Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday a massive vaccination campaign against the coronavirus, for all categories of the population, from next week.

"I ask to launch a mass vaccination of the entire population from next week," said the Russian president during a meeting of the Russian government by videoconference.

Already a million Russians vaccinated

In December, Russia had already started its vaccination campaign targeting populations deemed to be a priority, in particular the elderly and medical and school personnel.

The categories authorized to receive the Russian Sputnik V vaccine were then gradually broadened.

According to the Russian Sovereign Fund (RDIF), which funded the development of this product, more than one million people in Russia have been vaccinated to date.

This country was the first last August to approve a vaccine against the coronavirus, attracting criticism internationally in the face of an announcement deemed premature, before phase 3 trials and the publication of scientific results.

Simple storage and transport conditions

"The Russian vaccine - it is quite obvious and practice confirms it - I think it is the best in the world," Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday, praising in particular its storage and transport conditions which "do not require not extreme conditions ”.

“It's much simpler and more efficient,” he added, compared to his Western counterparts.

For her part, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova, responsible for health, said that everything was "ready" to launch a mass vaccination from Monday.

Russia is facing a second wave of the very deadly coronavirus, but the authorities are refusing for the moment any new national containment.

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