NUR-SULTAN, February 8. /TASS/. Kazakh medics have not documented any serious side effects among those vaccinated with Russian COVID-19 vaccine "Sputnik V" in Kazakhstan’s capital of Nur-Sultan, head of the city’s public health department Timur Muratov said during Monday’s briefing.

"Stage-by-stage vaccination against the coronavirus began in the capital. Since February 1 until today, 719 medical workers have been vaccinated, with over 78% covered," he said.

According to him, medical workers working in high-risk spheres have been vaccinated first. "There have been no serious side effects during vaccination," he noted.

Kazakhstan began to vaccinate its population against COVID-19 on February 1 with Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. Starting February 15, Kazakhstan plans to use the Sputnik V vaccine produced locally. In the second quarter of 2021, the government also plans to start vaccination with Kazakh-developed COVID-19 vaccine QazCovid-In, which is currently undergoing the third stage of clinical trials.

So far, Kazakhstan has confirmed 196,115 cases of COVID-19, 176,744 patients have recovered and 2,601 have died.