MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin decided not to get vaccinated in front of cameras for personal reasons, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Putin said earlier that he had rejected the idea of making his vaccination open to the media because he was unwilling to copycat others and "do things the way other people in other places do."
When asked how the Kremlin viewed the fact that a number of Russian officials had gotten the jab in front of cameras, Peskov noted that "personal examples are priceless, especially when it’s people who enjoy credibility and respect."
"As for the president, every statesman is also a human being with personal convictions. When speaking about copycatting others, the president perhaps was referring to his own view of how to set examples. In this particular case, the president’s word is the best example, as he kept his word and announced when and how he had been vaccinated," Peskov emphasized.
The Kremlin spokesman pointed out that no medical procedures that Putin underwent had ever been made public. "The president was rather frank when answering the relevant question, so I don’t think that there is a need for additional clarifications," the press secretary said.