Support The Moscow Times!

Putin Open to Getting Coronavirus Vaccine in 2021 – Kommersant

All who interact with Putin in person are required to quarantine for two weeks in advance. Kremlin.ru

President Vladimir Putin has floated the possibility of getting vaccinated against the coronavirus later in 2021, the Kommersant business daily reported Thursday, citing his closed-door meeting with journalists.

Putin, 68, has held off on receiving Russia’s domestically manufactured Covid-19 vaccine despite touting it as the world’s “best” jab and boasting of its first-in-the-world approval. His reluctance to get vaccinated has raised eyebrows amid Russia’s slow vaccination campaign compared to countries that launched theirs weeks later.

According to Kommersant’s account of the late Wednesday meeting with top Russian media editors, Putin said he is ready to get the Sputnik V shot as soon as his vaccine schedule permits.

“He has flu and pneumococcal vaccinations, so he’ll consult with the doctors when to [receive Sputnik V] because you can’t do it at the same time,” Kommersant’s Kremlin correspondent Andrei Kolesnikov said.

Putin could get the vaccine in late summer of fall “for the start of an active period where he will have to travel a lot,” Kolesnikov added, saying that two-week quarantine rules will in the meantime continue to apply for all guests that interact with him in person.

“I don’t want to monkey around,” Kolesnikov cited Putin as saying. “So I won’t do it in front of cameras.”

The Kremlin on Thursday ridiculed the barrage of leaks from Putin’s behind-closed-doors talks with the chief editors.

Late last year, Putin said he had not yet been vaccinated because it wasn't yet recommended for members of his age group.

World leaders have been receiving Covid-19 vaccines in public to reassure members of the public of the shots’ safety.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more