Yakutia becomes first Russian region to introduce mandatory vaccination against COVID-19

Russia’s far-eastern Sakha Republic, also known as Yakutia, has become the country’s first region to introduce mandatory vaccination against the coronavirus. The Head of Yakutia, Aysen Nikolayev, instructed the heads of municipalities and urban districts to issue corresponding regulations on May 25, according to the region’s official information portal.

Employees who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 without reasonable justification may not be allowed to return to work. Employers who fail to provide mandatory vaccinations will face fines upwards of 200,000 rubles (about $2,730). This applies to all enterprises regardless of ownership, including both private companies and state-owned structures operating in the republic.

On May 19, Yakutia’s Chief Sanitary Doctor, Margarita Ignatyeva, signed an order on mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 for residents of the region who are over 60, people with chronic diseases, residents of major towns, military personnel, law enforcement officers, government and utility services workers, volunteers and shift workers, state and municipal employees, and persons over the age of 18 who are studying in secondary schools and post-secondary institutions. 

Those who fail to get vaccinated against COVID-19 will be refused admission to educational institutions and face suspension from work, if the job involves a high risk of contracting infectious diseases.

Mass vaccination against COVID-19 began in Russia in January 2021.

On May 12, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova stated that around 10 million Russian residents have received both doses of the coronavirus vaccine, while another four million have had their first dose. On May 21, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin complained that the rate of vaccination in the Russian capital remains unsatisfactory, despite the infrastructure for mass vaccination being in place.