Russia’s COVID-19 vaccination drive slowly picking up speed

A medical worker preparing a shot of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine is seen through a window of a local rural medical post in the village of Ikhala in Russia’s Karelia region, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. Russia took pride in being the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine, although it faced criticism from aboard for doing it before completing the advanced testing necessary to ensure Sputnik V’s safety and effectiveness.