MOSCOW, November 26. /TASS/. The Kremlin expects that a mass inoculation against the coronavirus infection in Russia will begin before the end of the year. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that it will be conducted in stages and taking into account the geographical particularities of the country.
"I cannot name the exact date [of the beginning of a mass inoculation] but it should begin before New Year’s Eve, that’s the expectation," the Kremlin representative told journalists on Thursday.
He emphasized that the main principle in this issue is a voluntary involvement. The spokesman thinks that it is premature to name the deadlines when everyone wishing to get inoculated against the coronavirus may do so. "Without a doubt, this will be done in stages, taking into account the geography of our country and the particulars of storage of various substances," he noted.
According to him "the task is to minimize those stages and to provide as quickly as possible [an opportunity to get a shot] for everyone who wants to do so." In his opinion, this is a "monumental task." "Every country is facing this task, and so are we," the Kremlin representative stated.
The spokesman assured that the Kremlin is aware that some pharmaceutical companies in Russia experience problems with the vaccine production launch. "Some companies indeed experience problems with purchasing the necessary equipment, some don’t, so it depends on the company, the situation is different in every company," he noted. The spokesman stated that there are "several manufacturers, not just one manufacturer." "Some have been more successful, some less, some companies succeed, some don’t, this is an absolutely normal process," he said. The Kremlin representative added that "the volume of bioreactors used is growing gradually, they serve to prepare the second component [of a vaccine]."
The Kremlin spokesman did not respond to a question on how many doses will be produced before the end of the year, redirecting it to the Industry and Trade Ministry. "The Industry and Trade Ministry oversees the domestic production of vaccines," he explained. The spokesman reiterated that recently Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin met with the vaccine manufacturers. "This is something that our headquarters and our manufacturers are occupied with constantly now," he assured. "The deadlines are being discussed but, if necessary, they should be announced by the headquarters," he specified.