Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday received a shot against the flu outbreak in the country. Russian news agency TASS quoted Putin as telling chief sanitary doctor Anna Popova: "Remember, I asked you a few days ago whether one should get a jab or not? You told me yes, we should."
Putin was speaking at a government meeting after Popova submitted her report on the rising incidents of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza in Russia. "So, I report — I got [a jab] yesterday. I also advise this to all my colleagues. Today, I did sports in the morning as usual, routinely, everything is normal, no questions asked," Putin said.
Popova, the head of Russia’s Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, said the swine flu virus, which was first identified in 2009, is now spread across Russia.
According to Popova, the swine flu virus is responding to medication and the situation is controllable. However, she also said that a little less than 1% of the vaccinated people had caught the flu.
She also said that the Covid-19 cases in Russia were five times lower but the situation still warrants prudence. President Putin received a Sputnik Light vaccine booster dose against the coronavirus in November last year. A day later, he also tested a nasal spray against the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, all preparations for Vladimir Putin to take shelter in a bunker have been done, reported Metro. Putin, who is known to be extremely concerned about threats to his health, has already called off his end-of-year press conference.
Putin usually delivers a speech to Russians via a pre-recorded New Year message that is broadcast at midnight across his country’s 11 time zones.
The development comes on the 295th day of the Russia-Ukraine war, which started in February this year. As December 25 arrives, Russia has said that there has been no Christmas ceasefire.