Russia starts vaccinating animals against Covid-19

London Russia has startedvaccinating animals against Covid-19, the media reported on Thursday. Several regions in the country have now started the Carnivak-Cov vaccines at veterinary clinics, the BBC quoted Russia's veterinary watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor as saying to local media.

A Carnivak-Cov jab provides immunity for an estimated six months. The vaccine was earlier tested on dogs, cats, mink, foxes and other animals and was proven to be effective, Rosselkhoznadzor had said.

Clinics are seeing an increase in vaccination requests from "breeders, pet-owners who travel frequently and also citizens whose animals roam freely", Julia Melano, adviser to the head of Rosselkhoznadzor, was quoted as saying. Earlier this month, Russia had announced that it had started mass production of Carnivac-Cov.

The first batch of 17,000 doses has been produced at Rosselkhoznadzor's subordinate institution, the Federal Centre for Animal Health, the watchdog said in a statement, Xinhua reported. There is great domestic demand for the vaccine and the first batch of doses will be distributed within the country, it said, adding that foreign companies have also shown interest in it.