NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked health officials to start mass vaccination against COVID-19 next week, adding that the country will have 2 million doses of its Sputnik V vaccine produced within the next few days.

Putin’s announcement came at a time when UK has also approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for a rollout starting next week. 

Russia has been recording over 500 new deaths daily from the coronavirus. Russia announced last week that interim test results showed the Sputnik V vaccine was 95% effective, a higher efficacy than its international competitors.

“I would ask you to organise the work so that by the end of next week we will have started this large-scale vaccination,” Putin said. The president also added that teachers and medics will be the first to receive the vaccine.

“More than 2 million doses have been produced or will be produced in the next few days,” he added.

According to a Reuters report, Putin told Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova, “Let’s agree on this – you will not report to me next week, but you will start mass vaccination…let’s get to work already.”