Peskov Says Kremlin Staff Will Not Face Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination

Peskov Says Kremlin Staff Will Not Face Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination

There will be no mandatory COVID-19 vaccination among employees of the administration of Russian President Vladimir Putin, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th August, 2020) There will be no mandatory COVID-19 vaccination among employees of the administration of Russian President Vladimir Putin, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

On August 11, the Russian Health Ministry registered the first vaccine against COVID-19, named Sputnik V, developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute.

"I do not rule out that someone [from the staff] could have become a volunteer and taken part in the early stages of the clinical trials of the vaccine. But, of course, we are not talking about some kind of mass and mandatory vaccination," Peskov said.

The spokesperson emphasized that once the vaccine is available for everyone, every person will decide for himself whether or not to get vaccinated, including the Kremlin staff members.

"As public servants, we have certain rights suspended due to the law on public service, but not to such a degree so that we have to be mandatorily vaccinated," Peskov stressed.

The WHO guidelines require three phases of clinical trials for a vaccine to be ready for mass distribution. The Sputnik V vaccine has been tested on 76 volunteers. The phase 3 trial of the Russian vaccine is currently underway. The vaccine will initially be distributed among special groups, such as health care workers and teachers, before gradually expanding to the general populace.