Russian COVID vaccine roll-out delayed again in Delhi hospitals
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Private hospitals in the Delhi-NCR region announced that the roll-out Russian Covid-19 vaccine "Sputnik V" has been postponed from June 25. The spokesperson of Apollo Hospitals said that they do not have clarity on when the vaccines can be given.
The Russian manufacturers and marketers had said that Sputnik V has an efficacy rate of 92%.
An official of Madhukar Rainbow Children's Hospital said that the delay is on the part of the supplies. "The hospital has not received Sputnik V doses from the Hyderabad-based Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, the marketing partner for the vaccine in the country.
Sputnik V has used two different viruses that cause the common cold to make the Covid-19 vaccine. The two doses are supposed to be given 21 days apart and they are not interchangeable.
Russia's Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology developed Sputnik V. And it is being marketed globally by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). Dr. Reddy's Laboratories in Hyderabad has been importing the doses from Russia. The vaccine will be manufactured in India in time.
Indraprastha Apollo in Delhi had announced that they will start administering Sputnik V from June 25. Fortis Healthcare had also announced that they will administer the Russian vaccine at their Gurgaon and Mohali hospitals soon.
No specific information has been provided for the delay, but officials of private hospitals think that it may have something to do with supplying both doses together.
The Centre has fixed the price for Sputnik V at Rs. 1,145 per dose. The maximum price for Covishield and Covaxin is Rs. 780 and Rs. 1,410.