Venezuela Starts Vaccinating Elderly Against COVID19 With Sputnik V - Health Minister

CARACAS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th April, 2021) Coronavirus vaccination with Russia's Sputnik V for people over 60 years of age with chronic health conditions has started in Venezuela, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado has announced.

"We have started using the vaccines that arrived from Russia last week on the elderly population over 60 years, with more than one chronic condition," Alvarado said on VTV on Monday.

Venezuela received the first batch of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in February, which allowed the country to start its mass vaccination campaign.

The first Sputnik V deliveries to Venezuela were used to vaccinate healthcare workers.

Russia reached a deal with Venezuela in December on the supply of 10 million doses of Sputnik V, the world's first registered vaccine against COVID-19.

According to the latest interim results of clinical trials released by medical journal Lancet, the Sputnik V vaccine has 91.6 percent efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19.

The Russian Sputnik V vaccine has been approved for use in nearly 60 countries.