Putin reveals he received Sputnik V jab

"I proceeded from the fact that I needed to be protected as long as possible, and I made my decision to get the Sputnik V jab," Putin said during his annual Q&A session. The Russian leader said that his daughter had also been inoculated with the Sputnik V and stressed that the vaccine entailed no serious consequences.

"There are people with different bodily constitutions, with chronic diseases and the elderly, the so-called risk groups. This is life-threatening. The inoculation, however, is not dangerous, and we haven't had a single complication in our country," he noted. Putin said he had for long refrained from specifying the vaccine he had been inoculated with in order not to create competitive advantages among the inoculations.

Meanwhile, on WHO concern over Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine issues with the filling of vials at one plant, the Pharmastanfar - UfaVITA said that the issues did not relate to the safety or efficacy of the vaccine itself, the plant is responsible only for pouring into vials doses of Sputnik V vaccine produced elsewhere. WHO did not raise any questions about the safety and efficacy of the produced and finished vaccine as the "Sputnik V" vaccine undergoes strictest double quality output control of the Gamaleya Institute and the Russian health regulator (Federal Healthcare Service - Roszdravnadzor), said OJSC Pharmstandard-UfaVITA statement.

WHO interim inspection did not identify any critical issues with the actual vaccine's production, quality, clinical studies, possible side effects, nor with the double quality output control by both the Gamaleya Institute and the Russian health regulator. Instead, WHO inspectors' attention was focused on only 4 technical issues mostly related to one of the filling lines that have all been subsequently fully addressed, said the statement.Further, OJSC Pharmstandard-UfaVITA invited WHO for another inspection.