A. Novoderezhkin; S. Savostyanov/TASS
On December 4, 2020, Russia launched large-scale vaccination against the novel coronavirus with its Sputnik V vaccine. Starting from January 18, by order of Russian President Vladimir Putin, a mass vaccination campaign is to begin across the country. How many Russians have already been vaccinated, what side effects occur in the first days after the jab, and who is forced to get inoculated under threat of dismissal?
"Sooner or later, everybody will get infected, and the vaccine has fewer side effects and risks than the coronavirus itself," says Dmitry Lushnikov, PR director for the Russian social network VKontakte, explaining his decision to get the jab.