Russian vaccine rolls out to people over 60

The Kremlin said on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to soon receive the country’s pioneering coronavirus vaccine. The comments came as eligibility for Sputnik V was broadened to those over the age of 60.

Sputnik V, created by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, made headlines in August, when it became the first vaccine against Covid-19 to be registered anywhere in the world. There had been initial hesitancy about rolling it out to all age groups, and the very vulnerable, without extensive research, but with more than 700,000 Russians having received the jab already, and clinical trials completed, regulators now feel there is sufficient evidence to extend it to more and more people.