Amidst the vaccine shortage that many states are currently facing, the second batch of Russia's vaccine, Sputnik V will arrive in India on May 14. The first batch had arrived in Hyderabad on May 1, with 1.5 lakh doses.
Dr VK Paul, Member of Health, NITI Aayog, while addressing a press conference on May 13 also remarked that by next week he is hopeful that the vaccine will hit the markets.
"Sputnik vaccine has arrived in India. I'm happy to say that we're hopeful that it'll be available in the market next week. We're hopeful that the sale of the limited supply that has come from there (Russia), will begin next week", he said, as quoted by ANI.
Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) approved the emergency use authorization of Sputnik on April 13 and permitted Dr. Reddy's Laboratories to import the vaccine. Along with importing the vaccine, India will also produce the vaccine. Russian Direct Investment Fund (RIDF) has signed pacts with five Indian companies to produce 850 million doses of the vaccine.
RIDF had also forged a partnership with Dr. Reddy's to conduct clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine and the rights for distribution in India.
The rollout of the Sputnik V vaccine is expected to augment India’s third phase of the vaccination drive
With an efficacy of 91.5 %, Sputnik V is the third vaccine to be approved for emergency use in India after ‘Covishield’, developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca and ‘Covaxin’, the indigenous vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech.
Sputnik V will be administered in two doses.
Along with Sputnik V, Russia had also authorized the use of a one-shot Sputnik Light. The Sputnik Light is a single-dose vaccine with 80 percent efficacy, the Russian authorities have said. Further, India is one among the 64 countries that will be producing the vaccine.
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