Putin takes part in testing of nasal coronavirus vaccine

MOSCOW. Nov 24 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he has taken part in testing a coronavirus vaccine that is administered nasally, which was developed by the Gamaleya Research Center, and he shared what he felt.

"Exactly six months after [initial vaccination with the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine], my protective [antibody] titers went down, and specialists recommended that I undergo a revaccination procedure, which I did a few days ago," Putin said at a conference with government members on Wednesday.

"I first received a [booster] shot, and the next day, after speaking with [deputy chief for research at the Gamaleya Center] Denis Yuryevich [Logunov], he himself, by the way, also carried out the other part of this procedure, namely, [he administered] this nasal powder," he said.

"This is also done with a syringe, but instead of a liquid substance, he [Logunov] took in powder, asked me to take a deep breath on the count of three, and spritzed it on one side and then on the other," Putin said.

"Then I sat for some fifteen minutes, and that's all. Frankly speaking, I didn't feel anything. Nothing at all," he said.

"After these two procedures, the shot and the nasal form, I exercised this morning," Putin said.

Putin met with Logunov on Sunday evening. He said at that meeting that he had received a booster shot of the Sputnik Light vaccine and volunteered to join the trials of the nasal version of the vaccine.