Coronavirus Vaccine update: Russia claims 1.2 billion doses booked, Check India’s stand so far

Coronavirus vaccine news, update: Around 10 Asian, South American, and Middle-East countries have inked separate agreements with Russia to gain access to the Sputnik-V vaccine candidate, Indian Express reported quoting WSJ. Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia have already struck deals to access for Russian Coronavirus vaccine. Russia has claimed that 10 more countries have been negotiating to procure the Russian vaccine. Moscow has stated that it had received expressions of interest, for about 1.2 billion doses of the vaccine so far. The Russian vaccine developers have been looking for an Indian partner to produce the vaccine in India, the report says.

Last week, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund revealed that it would supply 100 million doses of Sputnik-V vaccine to Hyderabad-based Pharmaceutical firm Dr Reddy’s Laboratories as Moscow was eyeing to speed up plans to distribute its shot abroad. The deal for its Sputnik-V vaccine candidate comes after the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) reached agreements with Indian manufacturers to produce 300 million doses of the shot in India. The agreement brings the total number of doses Russia has so far announced that it will supply abroad to just over 200 million – half to Latin America and a half to India, as per a Reuters report.

Deliveries to India could begin in late 2020, RDIF said, adding this was subject to the completion of trials and Sputnik-V’s registration by regulatory authorities in India. Phase III trials, involving at least 40,000 people, are ongoing in Russia. Initial results are expected in October or November, RDIF head Kirill Dmitriev has said, as per the Reuters report.

Last week Director-General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Balram Bhargava told media, “Russia has been manufacturing vaccines for many years. Regarding the Russian Vaccine, a high-level committee of the Government of India is in dialogue with Russia. Once the Phase 3 trial is completed which Russia has started already, we should be able to go ahead.”