Moscow Deputy Mayor: "COVID-19 Vaccines Will Be Provided Free of Charge"
"50% Doubt Vaccines"...Safety Controversy Continues
"13 Vaccinated Yesterday Are Healthy"...40,000 Citizens Mobilized for Clinical Trials
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[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As Moscow authorities announced that free vaccination against the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) with the Sputnik V vaccine developed by the state-run Gamaleya Institute will soon be available to all citizens, safety concerns are intensifying. While Russian authorities emphasize that public sector workers who frequently interact with the public, such as teachers and doctors, should be effectively mandated to get vaccinated, it is reported that about half of Moscow residents are refusing vaccination due to concerns about the vaccine's safety.
According to Russian TASS news agency on the 11th (local time), Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow, stated in an interview with Russia's state-run Rossiya 24 TV, "The Sputnik V vaccine will soon be administered free of charge, and a vaccination schedule will be set," emphasizing that "vaccination will be conducted voluntarily." She added, "Currently, 50% of Moscow citizens want to get vaccinated, while the other 50% doubt its safety," and "workers in fields with frequent public contact, such as doctors, teachers, and public officials, will be prioritized as vaccination targets."
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The Moscow city authorities previously announced that vaccinations for citizens began on the 9th, and the 13 citizens who received the first dose are currently in good health. The vaccine sparked global controversy after receiving approval from Russian authorities last month on the 11th without undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials. The Gamaleya Institute, which developed the vaccine, conducted clinical trials on 38 subjects combining Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials before receiving approval from authorities. Currently, Phase 3 clinical trials are underway involving 40,000 Moscow residents.
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