Russian President Vladimir Putin has received the second dose of a domestically made Covid-19 vaccine, it was revealed on Wednesday, 22 days after he said he got the first jab. It is not known which shot he was inoculated with.
Speaking at a meeting with the board of the Russian Geographical Society, Putin said he had taken the booster, noting he was sure that “everything will be fine.”
When he received the first jab, there was much speculation about which vaccine he chose to receive. The Kremlin refused to disclose exactly which of the three registered Russian formulas - Sputnik V, EpiVacCorona and CoviVac - he opted for, explaining they are all safe and effective.
With Putin revealing he got the second dose on Wednesday, approximately three weeks after the first, the possibilities can likely be cut down to just two of the vaccines. According to recommended guidelines, the second component of Sputnik V, the Russian jab most widely known internationally, is given 21 days after the initial jab. The interval for the alternative EpiVacCorona is recommended at 14-21 days, and CoviVac should be given for the second time after just two weeks. This means that it is unlikely the president was injected with Russia’s third vaccine.
Also on rt.com Russian-made Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine passed efficacy & safety tests 'with flying colors,’ Philippines foreign minister to RT“We’re deliberately not saying which particular vaccine will be administered to the president, stressing that all three Russian shots are perfectly reliable and effective,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last month, while also revealing that Putin would not be injected on camera.
Russia’s most prominent vaccine is Sputnik V, the first in the world to be officially registered. Produced by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, it has now been approved in 60 different countries. Earlier this week, India's drug controller general said the vaccine had been accepted as safe and effective.
The other two jabs, EpiVacCorona and CoviVac, have made fewer waves outside the country, with no significant exports.
On Tuesday, Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev announced that Sputnik V would soon be produced in Serbia, Italy and Iran. Doses are already being made in Belarus and Kazakhstan.
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