American filmmaker Oliver Stone said he has been given Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus despite the country’s massive rollout that does not cover his age range.
Russia launched nationwide distribution of Covid-19 vaccines to high-risk health, education and other workers aged 18 to 60 at the end of last week. Experts have warned that it can harm patients 60 years of age and older who develop more severe forms of Covid-19 and have the highest mortality rates.
‘I got a vaccine a few days ago. I don’t know if it will work, but I’ve heard good things about the Russian vaccine, ”Stone, 74, told Russian state channel Channel One.
Stone, who had been revs The Russian nuclear power plants for its upcoming climate change documentary, said in an interview aired Monday that it plans to return to receive the second shot.
‘I am hopeful. It’s a very good vaccine, I don’t understand why it is being ignored in the West, ”Stone, who has a series of flattering Job interviews with Putin ahead of the Russian president’s re-election in 2018, said via a dubbed voiceover translation.
Sputnik V developers said they launched this fall trials among 150 volunteers over the age of 60 to determine its safety.
According to the developers of Sputnik V, about 320,000 doses have been distributed so far as part of the massive vaccination campaign. Russia’s sovereign wealth fund that finances and markets the vaccine said more than 200,000 Russians were vaccinated outside of the post-registration trials.
Developers on Monday said data obtained three weeks after volunteers received the first of two Sputnik V doses showed 91.4% efficacy and 100% against severe cases.
Russia has confirmed about 2.7 million infections and nearly 47,500 deaths since the start of the pandemic.