Today, within the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company, as throughout the country, mass vaccination against Covid-19 is beginning. The UMMC, as a responsible employer, takes care of its employees’ health. The first batch of Gam-Covid-Vak (Sputnik V) vaccine was received via the approved organisation “UMMC-Zdorovyé” (UMMC-Health).

Alexey Smirnov, the head of the crisis unit for the prevention of the spread of Covid-19 infection within the UMMC, explained how the vaccination campaign will take place: “We will vaccinate employees who have no contraindications and with their free consent. The vaccination will be preceded by medical examinations aimed in particular at detecting the presence or absence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G and M antibodies (antibodies). On the basis of the results of the laboratory tests, in the absence of antibodies, the therapist will carry out a complete medical examination and will authorise or not the vaccination”.

Once the employee has received two doses of vaccine in two stages, he or she will develop IgG antibodies for three weeks. Research results show that after vaccination the risk of contracting the disease and especially of developing a severe form is practically reduced to zero.

Andrey Chuvilkin, UMMC’s deputy director for personnel, explains the need for mass vaccination: “Since the start of the pandemic, between 7% and 20% of employees in UMMC companies have already contracted the coronavirus. It is very important for us to form collective immunity in workers’ collectives so that everyone is sure not to contract the virus and not to infect their colleagues, parents, and relatives.

We want to return to normal to exclude periods of forced confinement and teleworking in case of contact with people with Covid-19. This week we are starting the vaccination of employees of UMMC companies in the Ekaterinburg region. Taking into account those who have already contracted the disease and have formed G antibodies, those who are already vaccinated and those who plan to do so, we hope to have collective immunity among 80% of the employees”.

“The vaccination of UMMC employees is free of charge and is carried out with their free consent. Personally, after having studied the mechanism of the vaccine, I have been vaccinated today and I feel very well, – says Alexey Svalov,  head of the UMMC press service – I think I did the right thing and I want to appeal to all my colleagues, my relatives, all the inhabitants of the Ekaterinburg region and other regions of Russia – do like us, because only together we can face this disease. Join us!”

Next week the vaccination campaign will start in other UMMC companies outside the Ekaterinburg region.