Moscow to start coronavirus vaccine roll out on December 5

Vaccination centers offering Russia’s “Sputnik V” coronavirus vaccine to high-risk groups will begin working in Moscow on December 5, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin announced on Thursday, December 3.

As new batches of the vaccine arrive, the list of citizens eligible for vaccination in Moscow will be expanded, Sobyanin added.

According to a special page on city hall’s website about free vaccination, in order to be eligible for Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, you need to be registered with a clinic in the capital and provide proof of your place of work. 

On Wednesday, December 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the government to start large-scale vaccination against the coronavirus in Russia “next week.”

Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine is currently undergoing Phase III clinical trials, involving 40,000 volunteers. On November 24, the researchers developing the vaccine reported that it has shown more than 95 percent effectiveness. The scientists who created Sputnik V claimed to be the first in the world to develop and register a vaccine against the coronavirus. 

Russia has also registered a second coronavirus vaccine, “EpiVakKorona,” developed by the Vector Research Center. It is currently in the midst of Phase III clinical trials, as well.