"Prime minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Askar Mamin, attended the Karagandy pharmaceutical complex, where he launched production of Sputnik V vaccine under agreement between Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin," the government said in a statement.
Kazakhstan will start mass vaccination against COVID-19 with the domestically produced Sputnik V vaccine in February, Prime Minister Askar Mamin said on Monday.
"Mass vaccination with the Sputnik V vaccine produced in Kazakhstan will start in February 2021. First of all, medical personnel, teachers, students, law enforcement agents, those working in social medical institutions, and members of high-risk groups suffering from chronic diseases will be vaccinated, vaccination will be voluntary," Mamin said, as quoted by his office.
In August, Sputnik V became the first COVID-19 vaccine registered in Russia and the world. The vaccine is currently going through phase 3 trials in Russia, as well as in Belarus, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.
The relevant agreements have also been reached with India, Brazil and Hungary. Sputnik V is over 95 percent effective based on preliminary data obtained 42 days after the first dose (corresponds with 21 days after the second dose). There were no unexpected adverse events during the trials.
