Russia began distributing its coronavirus vaccine on Saturday, making Sputnik V available at 70 different locations around Moscow.
Driving the news: The immunization effort comes days after Russian President Vladimir Putin directed officials to begin large-scale vaccination against the virus, despite widespread criticism from scientists worldwide over the Sputnik V vaccine's safety and effectiveness.
- Russia has not completed advanced studies on the vaccine to ensure it is safe and adheres to scientific protocols.
Details: The two-shot vaccine is only available to people between the ages of 18 and 60 who do not have a chronic disease or a cold, and who are not pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Patients will be required to get the second shot 21 days after the first injection.
- Moscow said 5,000 doctors, teachers, social workers and other high-risk groups have already signed up for the vaccine.
The big picture: Russia has recorded more than 2.4 million coronavirus cases and over 42,200 deaths, per data from Johns Hopkins University.
Go deeper: Why you should be skeptical of Russia's coronavirus vaccine claims
