Putin to receive coronavirus vaccine shot on Tuesday

Russian leader touts domestically made vaccine as ‘absolutely reliable and safe,’ but doesn’t say which one of 3 approved inoculations he’s getting

By AP 22 March 2021, 4:13 pm

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In this photo made available on March 21, 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin drinks during a break in a taiga forest in Russia's Siberian region. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin said he will get a coronavirus vaccine shot on Tuesday, several months after widespread vaccination has started in Russia.

Kremlin opponents have criticized Putin for not getting vaccinated amid a comparatively slow rollout of the shot in Russia, arguing that his reluctance is fueling the already extensive hesitance about the vaccine. Russia, where only 4.3% of the 146-million population have received at least one dose, lags behind a number of countries in terms of the vaccination rate.

Putin told a meeting with government officials on Monday that he will get his shot “tomorrow,” without specifying which coronavirus vaccine out of the three approved for use in Russia he will take. According to the Russian president, 6.3 million people in Russia have already received at least one shot, and more than 4.3 million have had two doses.

“Today we can confidently say… that the Russian vaccines are absolutely reliable and safe,” Putin said. “It is an absolute success of our scientists and specialists.”

In this photo provided by Russian Direct Investment Fund, a COVID-19 vaccine is on display at the Nikolai Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, Russia, August 6, 2020. (Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/ Russian Direct Investment Fund via AP, File)

Despite skepticism about Russia’s hasty introduction of the vaccine, which was rolled out before it had completed late-stage trials, the vaccine appears to be safe and effective. According to a study published in the Lancet, Sputnik V is 91% effective and appears to prevent inoculated individuals from becoming severely ill with COVID-19, although it’s still unclear if the vaccine can prevent the spread of the disease.