Not authorised any third party to distribute COVID-19 vaccine in India, say RDIF and Dr Reddy's

"In last few days, there have been several unsubstantiated reports and claims from various quarters in India on alleged tie-ups for the Sputnik V Vaccine," a statement from RDIF and Dr Reddy;s said.

Viswanath Pilla

May 28, 2021 / 08:01 PM IST

Representative image of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine

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Russian sovereign fund RDIF and Dr Reddy's in a joint statement said that they have not entered into partnership or collaboration with any party to supply Sputnik V vaccine to residential associations, nor has the company authorised any third party or intermediary to supply the vaccine on its behalf in India.

"In last few days, there have been several unsubstantiated reports and claims from various quarters in India on alleged tie-ups for the Sputnik V Vaccine," a statement from RDIF and Dr Reddy's said.

"Beware of unauthorised individuals offering fake deals or procurement of the Sputnik V vaccine posing as its representatives in India. If approached, alert the authorities immediately," the statement said.

Dr Reddy's said it has initiated legal action against unscrupulous elements committing fraud in the name of the Sputnik V vaccine in India.

"The company takes no responsibility for the consequence of unauthorised deals, fraudulent financial transactions or sub-standard products resulting from such fraud," it added.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

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