Teenagers who will get the Sputnik M coronavirus vaccine will develop the same immunity as vaccinated adults, Director General of Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology Alexander Gintsburg said.
"I don’t think that they [teenagers] will develop weaker immunity because the human body responds in a similar way," he pointed out. According to Gintsburg, "the number of antibodies that the immune system produces to respond to the same number of antigens will be the same."
When asked if 17-year-olds should wait to turn 18 to get a vaccine for adults, the expert said that there was no need to wait, TASS reported.
On November 24, the Russian Health Ministry approved the Sputnik M coronavirus vaccine for children and teenagers aged 12 to 17 years. It is a two-dose vaccine, with the second dose given 21 days after the first. According to the ministry, children and teens aged 12-15 will get vaccinated only with the consent of their parents or guardians, while those aged over 15 wil need to provide their written informed and voluntary consent.
