Russia’s Health Ministry has approved the country’s Sputnik-V COVID-19 vaccine for use by people over the age of 60.
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko made the announcement on December 26, saying that the vaccine has now been approved for everyone over the age of 18.
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Previously, elderly people, who form a particularly vulnerable group, had been excluded from the nation’s mass vaccination program. Murashko said that trials had now demonstrated that the vaccine is safe for this group.
He added that the elderly will be immediately included in the vaccination program.
According to official Russian government figures, the country has had nearly 3 million cases and 53,659 fatalities since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
