Russia's Sputnik V vaccine likely to be accessible by next week
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New Delhi: Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against the Covid-19 pandemic will be available in markets across the India by early next week, said the Union Health Ministry on Thursday
The announcement comes 12 days after the first consignment of 150,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine landed in Hyderabad from Russia, after the country witnessed an unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases.
Sputnik V, developed by Russia's Gamaleya National Center will be the third vaccine to be cleared for use in India after the Serum Institute of India's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.
Dr V.K. Paul, member NITI Aayog, made the announcement at a Health Ministry press briefing on the Covid-19 situation in the country.
Paul also informed that the local production of Sputnik V will begin in July and Hyderabad-based Dr. Reddy's Laboratories will manufacture the vaccine in India.
Meanwhile, Dr Reddy's top executives recently hinted that Sputnik V is likely to be sold at $10 (around Rs 750) a dose in India.
Last month, the Indian regulator Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted emergency use authorisation to Sputnik V amid an alarming rise in the country's fresh Covid-19 infections.
With an efficacy of 91.6 per cent, Sputnik V is reportedly the first vaccine against Covid-19 in the world. As per Lancet Medical Journal, the vaccine has been cleared and approved for mass use in more than 50 countries.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has signed a deal to produce 750 million doses of Sputnik V in India.
Dr Reddy plans to import of 125 million people equivalent doses in India, as per the direct agreement with RDIF. The firm also aims to ramp up manufacture of the vaccine in India after the initial imports.