Russia begins re-vaccinating already inoculated people as country seeks herd immunity to defeat ever-worsening Covid-19 pandemic

With Russian Covid-19 cases rising, it has been revealed that some of the country’s regions have begun to re-vaccinate citizens who received their second jab more than six months ago and want to boost their level of antibodies.

The move to give Russians a third dose comes as the country seeks to reach herd immunity in the adult population. People who have been ill with Covid-19 should also get vaccinated half a year after they tested positive, the Ministry of Health has announced.

“This ‘emergency’ Covid-19 vaccination procedure, in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), will operate until Russia reaches a collective immunity level of 60% of the adult population,” a statement said.

After Russia reaches this target, re-inoculation should be carried out 12 months after the first vaccination, the ministry revealed.

In Moscow, re-vaccination started on July 1. Following the national Ministry of Health recommendations, it is available to citizens who were first vaccinated more than six months ago. Muscovites have the option of taking another dose of Sputnik V, Russia’s most well-known and most popular jab, or Sputnik Light, a one-component shot deemed suitable for a repeat vaccination. According to the mayor’s office, both are available in large quantities in the capital.

Russia’s vaccination drive comes as the country’s Covid-19 situation has seriously deteriorated. On Thursday, the government reported 672 deaths in just 24 hours – an all-time high for Covid-19 fatalities since the start of the pandemic.

Last month, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin revealed that the city had been hit hard by the new Indian strain of the coronavirus, now commonly referred to as the Delta variant.

“According to the latest data that we received, 89.3% of those who fell ill with Covid-19 have the Indian variant,” he said, noting that hospitals were being stretched to keep up with the growing number of cases.

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