Russian Ministry of Health Announces Start of Private Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines... Teachers and Medical Staff to Be Vaccinated

Phase 3 Still Ongoing... Distribution to Private Sector Begins
Russian Teachers Strongly Oppose: "Are We Lab Rats?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Russian Ministry of Health announced that the private distribution of Sputnik V, the first novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine developed by the state-run Gamaleya Research Institute and approved by authorities, has begun. The initially supplied vaccines will be administered to teachers and medical personnel, and nationwide vaccination will commence after the results of Phase 3 clinical trials are released. Russian teachers are protesting, claiming their human rights are being violated.

According to Russia's TASS news agency, on the 8th (local time), the Russian Ministry of Health stated in a press release that the private distribution of Sputnik V, the world's first approved COVID-19 vaccine by Russian authorities last month, started from that day. The Ministry explained that the vaccine batches were released after passing quality tests by the authorities. Mikhail Murashko, Russia’s Minister of Health, said at a press conference, "The initially distributed vaccines are intended for the vaccination of teachers and medical staff and will be administered simultaneously with the ongoing Phase 3 clinical trials."

Russian teachers are reportedly strongly opposing, saying they are not experimental subjects. According to CNN, the Russian teachers' union Uchitel advised teachers not to receive the vaccine for safety reasons and expressed concern that "vaccination should not be mandatory before the completion of Phase 3 clinical trials." Although the Russian government emphasizes voluntary vaccination, it is reported that frontline schools and regional governments are mandating vaccinations, causing concern among teachers.

Russian authorities are reportedly threatening to impose disadvantages on teachers who refuse vaccination. Marina Baluyeva, co-chair of Uchitel, criticized, "Teachers in Russia are treated as a group whose rights can be easily stripped, and the government views teachers as cheap and practical subjects for vaccine testing." The Russian Ministry of Education is said to have announced that incentive bonuses will be distributed based on the vaccination rates of teachers at each school.

The controversial Sputnik V vaccine was previously announced by the Gamaleya Research Institute to have proven efficacy after combined Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials involving 48 subjects, and was immediately approved by the Russian government, leading to ongoing debates about its safety and effectiveness. Russian President Vladimir Putin, seemingly aware of the safety concerns, stated, "One of my daughters also received this vaccine and is in good health," which became a worldwide topic of discussion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.