Russia approves Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for people over 60
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Russia had approved its vaccine after it was tested on only a few dozen people -- between 18 and 60, touting it as “the first in the world" to receive a go-ahead.
Russia on Saturday approved its main Covid vaccine, Sputnik V, for use by people over the age of 60.
Russian news agencies cited the health ministry as saying the shot was tested on this age group separately.
People over 60 had thus far been excluded from the national inoculation programme.
Russia had approved its vaccine after it was tested on only a few dozen people -- between 18 and 60, touting it as “the first in the world" to receive a go-ahead. Developers named it “Sputnik V," a reference to the Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of the world's first satellite during the Cold War.
Russia faced international criticism for approving a vaccine that hasn’t completed advanced trials among tens of thousands of people, and experts both at home and abroad warned against its wider use until the studies are completed.
The total number of cases of coronavirus infections in Russia crossed the 3 million mark for the first time on Saturday after officials recorded 29,258 new cases in the preceding 24 hours and 567 deaths.
This brought the total number of cases of coronavirus in Russia since the start of the pandemic to 3,021,964, according to official data.
(with inputs)