Russia inoculates 1 million people against COVID-19

MOSCOW: Russia has inoculated one million people against COVID-19 with its Sputnik V vaccine, according to a statement on the Sputnik V Twitter account on Wednesday.

Russia, which has the world's fourth highest number of COVID-19 cases, started large-scale vaccinations last month.

No new adverse reactions have been reported, RIA news agency quoted Alexander Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya Institute which developed the vaccine, as saying.

Earlier on Wednesday, Russia reported 24,217 new coronavirus cases, including 5,142 in Moscow, taking the national tally to 3,308,601.

Authorities said 445 people had died over the past 24 hours, taking Russia's official death toll to 59,951, though excess mortality data suggests the actual figure is much higher.