Leyla Fazleeva: “Next week we will receive the first batch of COVID-19 vaccine”
The Russian president instructed to start mass vaccination against Covid-19, Tatarstan is expecting 3,700 doses in the coming days
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has instructed Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova to start free mass vaccination of Russians against coronavirus from next week. In response, Golikova said that the vaccination will be free and voluntary and explained that the Russians will be vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine. The first vaccinations, she said, will be given to doctors and teachers. As Realnoe Vremya newspaper found out in the ministry of healthcare of the republic, Tatarstan is ready for mass vaccination, the system is well-established. Tatarstan Deputy Prime Minister and head of Headquarters for Coronavirus Control Leyla Fazleeva told our publication that the republic expects the first batch of Sputnik V to arrive next week: 40 medical institutions are preparing for vaccination. However, the deputy head of government advised Tatarstan citizens not to rush to get vaccinated against Covid-19, especially if they have recently been vaccinated against the flu.
Putin expects the start of mass vaccination from next week
President Vladimir Putin has instructed Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova to start mass vaccination against coronavirus as early as next week. The head of the state said this during a video conference dedicated to the opening of multifunctional medical centres of the ministry of defence. The Russian leader said that the country has already produced about 2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, which makes it “possible to start, if not mass, then large-scale vaccination”.
“I know that more than two million doses have already been produced or will be produced in the next few days, the production of the first registered vaccine against coronavirus, Sputnik V, will reach this level," the head of the state said.
According to Putin's proposal, vaccination should start with the first two risk groups — doctors and teachers. Turning to Golikova with a request for mass vaccination, he outlined the condition: if she believes that “we have come close” to such step . Putin added that he expects that large-scale vaccination can be started at the end of next week.
In turn, Golikova said that the vaccination of Russians can begin in December, and now the authorities are evaluating “the first priority groups of the population”, which she, like Putin, included doctors and teachers. However, she made a reservation, her team is considering “even a broader composition to have the opportunity to involve them in this vaccination”. She did not specify who will be included in this broad composition.
“The first batch in Tatarstan by volume will be about 3,700 doses”
Tatarstan Deputy Prime Minister Leyla Fazleeva, in turn, told Realnoe Vremya that the republic has not yet been received the vaccine, but it is already expected here from day to day:
“Tatarstan will definitely get a coronavirus vaccine! The first batch in Tatarstan by volume will be about 3,700 doses. When will it arrive? There is a schedule of receipts for the regions of the Russian Federation. I will say for sure that next week we will one hundred per cent receive the first batch of the COVID-19 vaccine! And we have already informed the Russian ministry of healthcare and the [federal operational] headquarters that we are ready, because there are certain requirements. And 40 medical institutions of Tatarstan will carry out vaccination against coronavirus," Leyla Fazleeva said.
The Deputy head of the Tatarstan government also asked to note in particular that vaccination will only be voluntary: “No one will force anyone!”
For large-scale coverage of coronavirus vaccinations, certain recommendations have been developed: “The first vaccination will primarily be aimed at education, healthcare, Rospotrebnadzor employees, those who work directly with people — for example, social workers.” But this is only a recommendation that is not of a regulatory nature. Therefore, at the moment, there is no strictly defined circle of people who will be vaccinated in the first place.
“Volunteers are free to be vaccinated, just come. It is clear that we will not make all 3,700 doses of the vaccine on the first day! We will vaccinate as soon as batches of the vaccine arrive in the region," the deputy prime minister said.
“No one will be forced to get vaccinated!”
The deputy prime minister of Tatarstan also separately discussed the possibilities and difficulties of vaccination for those who have already been vaccinated against certain infections. After all, many Tatarstan citizens managed to get vaccinated against the flu.
“Accordingly, a certain period of time must pass between the flu shot and the coronavirus shot. Moreover, in this case, it is necessary to consult a doctor. The same applies to those who have made a pneumococcal vaccine (and there are many of them in the republic) — they are also recommended to take a short pause," explained the head of the Headquarters for Coronavirus Control.
Anyway, before you get a Covid-19 shot, you should consult your doctor for recommendations or contraindications. Moreover, some vaccinations have these contraindications.
“No one will force everyone to get vaccinated!” Leyla Fazleeva assured.
Tatarstan ministry of healthcare: “We are ready, the system has been established”
The ministry of healthcare of the republic confirmed to Realnoe Vremya that the republic is preparing for the large-scale vaccination. In the meantime, Tatarstan has received 500 doses of the EpiCacCorona vaccine as part of a study of volunteers. All this batch was delivered to the city hospital No. 7 in Kazan, where the clinical base for testing this vaccine is working. Research is supervised by the federal Rospotrebnadzor.
The ministry of healthcare of the Republic of Tatarstan is also waiting for the receipt of another vaccine from Covid-19, Sputnik V, and specifies that Tatarstan can start a large-scale vaccination: “We are ready, the system has been adjusted.”