Putin hosts CIS counterparts, comments on omicron

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday the Russian-developed Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine provides a "very high" level of protection against the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Putin made the comments during an informal summit of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) leaders in St Petersburg. Heads of state listened to a report by Russia's chief sanitary doctor Anna Popova on the latest coronavirus data and the potential of omicron. Turkmen President thanked Russia for providing COVID-19 vaccines which he said had helped ensure the pandemic had "not been registered" in his country.