MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin has the opportunity to treat himself to a once-in-a-lifetime health procedure: a grueling full-body therapy not available in pharmacies.
He plans to take part in the experimental vaccination – which is expected to last two weeks – to protect himself against an influx of respiratory diseases. Putin, who usually nurses a healthy skepticism toward medical science, will be getting the vaporized invadopod for “positives and negative effects,” according to Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova.
Putin will take the spray in the middle of July, as he receives medical evaluation of a long-awaited back surgery, Skvortsova said.
Swabs taken from the Russian leader in July will then test the results, according to reports.
How it works
The mouth-shaped portable device contains a live protein and bacterial compound that closely mimics human breathing. It lasts for days, and the tiny particles are injected at the heart and into the lungs, allowing them to travel throughout the lungs.
The public humiliation of the treatment could be some of Putin’s favorite moments. In April, the president told a meeting that he “hates” trips to the doctor and will pursue a healthier life even with a disability.
In a televised speech at a school near Moscow in April, Putin lambasted doctors for providing “expensive pills” instead of “living in nice clothes.”
First reported by the LiveJournal site, the spray treatment has previously received rave reviews from Russia’s state media.
“This is medicine taken as a personal affront,” writes idealelect from Moscow for Saturday’s edition of RIA Novosti, a state-owned agency.