Putin claims Sputnik jab saved him from virus

Russian President Vladimir Putin said a person with COVID-19, with which he was in contact the whole day recently, had just a slight fever for two days. Putin suggested that he didn't fall ill thanks to the Sputnik jab.

"I spoke to infected people, with infected employees, and thank God, I didn't fall ill, not yet in any case. I hope it will not happen," Putin said at a meeting with the Russian government.

"I'm sure that the vaccine with which you got jabbed unconditionally played its role, and I think this is the most important (thing) protecting you from the (coronavirus) infection, considering the immune response was very high," the head of Russia's public health agency Anna Popova said.

Putin has been fully vaccinated with the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V - he received his second shot in April.

The World Health Organisation is still reviewing data about Russia's Sputnik V vaccine as part of hopes that it can be approved by the U.N. health agency for emergency use against coronavirus, but said Tuesday that no decision is imminent.

Russia's state coronavirus task force reported 25,110 new confirmed cases on Tuesday and 895 new deaths. That's the highest daily death toll in the pandemic.

Officials have blamed the low vaccine uptake. Only 33.5% of Russia's 146-million population have received at least one shot of a coronavirus vaccine as of last week. And just 27.4% have been fully vaccinated.

The Kremlin has said that it isn't considering a countrywide lockdown or any other nationwide measures despite the surge.

IMAGE: AP