Russia ready to produce Covid vax abroad: Putin

Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia is ready to produce Covid-19 vaccines at sites of foreign partners. He slammed the Western vaccines saying they were made from monkey and chimpanzee adenovirus.

New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia is ready to produce Covid-19 vaccines at the sites of foreign partners.

"Most importantly, we are ready to agree to produce this vaccine or these vaccines at the production sites of our foreign partners. They have this equipment, and I want to emphasise this, not to the detriment of vaccination in Russia itself, since we still have to purchase or develop this equipment, we are ready to work with our foreign partners," Putin said.

"I just want to remind you that we are generally ready to work more closely with our colleagues in science than we have done so far. We know that many European countries have already signed contracts for the supply of vaccines from the UK," he added.

Putin also slammed the Western vaccines saying they were made from monkey and chimpanzee adenovirus.

"Unfortunately, our colleagues there have experienced some malfunctions, they make their vaccine based on monkey and chimpanzee adenovirus, and our specialists at the Gamaleya Institute make it based on the human adenovirus in order to deliver the necessary components to the cells in the human body. And it works effectively. Thank God, without glitches," Putin said.

He added that mass vaccination will start by the end of the year.

"We do not have a single serious glitch in this area. Both the vaccines by Vector and the Gamaleya Institute work effectively. The question is how to mass-produce it. The vaccine has already been delivered to all regions of Russia. I hope that we will be able to start mass vaccination at the end of the year," he said.

IANS