TheCable

Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, says foreigners in the country will not get vaccinated against COVID-19 for free.

Speaking on Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPEIF), Putin said there has been an influx of people in Russia just to get receive the vaccine.

He, however, said that he has ordered an arrangement where foreigners can get the vaccine for a yet to be disclosed fee, hinting that Russia may commence vaccine tourism in July.

“There is a practice where people from different countries, including businessmen, the chiefs of large European and other companies, intentionally come to Russia to receive a vaccine against the coronavirus,” Putin said.

“The Russian pharmaceutical industry is willing to continue to boost the production of vaccines so we are not just fully covering our own needs.

“We can also provide foreign citizens with a chance to come to Russia and get vaccinated here. I know that given the efficiency of our vaccines, there is a high demand for that.

“In that regard, I would like to ask the government to analyze all aspects of this issue until the end of the month. So that, of course, in compliance with all safety measures and sanitary requirements to organize the conditions for foreign citizens to get a chance to get a vaccine on a commercial basis.”

Russia has approved four COVID-19 vaccines for domestic use and has vaccinated about 30 million of its population.