Russia registers Covid-19 vax for teenagers
The Russian Ministry of Health will register the Sputnik M coronavirus vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 17 on Wednesday, marking another step towards the country's continued attempt to reach herd immunity.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, children over the age of 12 will be vaccinated with parental consent, or by personal choice if they are over 15 years old.
Sputnik M is a version of Sputnik V, the first Covid-19 vaccine in the world to receive registration by any government. It is designed for adolescents and has a smaller dose than the full-blown jab. The vaccine still employs the exact same viral vector technology.
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Clinical trials of Sputnik M started in the summer, and it is currently in its third phase of testing. The jab is expected to be circulated widely by the end of December.
Following Golikova’s announcement, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered support for the development of Covid-19 vaccines for children who are two or above.
Last week, Russia’s Covid-19 HQ revealed that immunity in Russia had surpassed 50% of the population, with 58.7 million people fully vaccinated. However, the country still remains far behind the target of 80%.
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