According to a report, Sputnik V, a Russian-made vaccine against Covid-19, will be available at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi starting Tuesday. The number of consignments received by the hospital will determine the rollout of the Sputnik V vaccine, developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Institute.
The first phase of Apollo Hospitals and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories’ Sputnik V rollout began on a pilot basis on May 17 in Hyderabad and the following day in Vishakhapatnam. Sputnik V is also available at the Continental Hospitals in Hyderabad.
Apart from Apollo Hospitals, the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine will be administered to people by the end of this week at Madhukar Rainbow Children’s Hospital in Delhi. The vaccine’s price has been set at $1,145 per dose by the Center.
Sputnik V was also administered to employees of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories at Delhi’s Indraprastha Apollo Hospital on Sunday, citing sources familiar with the situation. 1000 doses of Sputnik V were delivered to Apollo Hospital, and 179 doses were given to employees of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories.
High rate of efficacy
For the rollout of the two-dose vaccine in India, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has partnered with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which markets the Covid-19 vaccine globally. The Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology developed Sputnik V, the world’s first registered vaccine against Covid-19, which received regulatory approval in Moscow last August. In 67 countries, the two-dose vaccine is now approved.
On April 12, the Indian drug regulator approved the two-dose Sputnik V for limited emergency use under certain conditions, and vaccination against coronavirus with the Russian vaccine began on May 14.
Sputnik V was claimed to have the highest efficacy rate of 91.6 percent; vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer also have efficacy rates of over 90%. RDIF announced on June 10 that the Sputnik V’s efficacy was estimated at 94.3 percent during a vaccination campaign conducted by Bahrain’s Ministry of Health. Sputnik V has not yet been approved as an emergency vaccine by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Light from Sputnik
Sputnik Light, a single-dose vaccine, is also expected to be approved in India soon. In late May, PTI reported that the government expects the Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik Light, a slimmed-down, single-dose version of Sputnik V, to be launched in India soon. According to PTI, which cited people familiar with the development, an application seeking regulatory approval for Sputnik Light is expected to be filed in the coming weeks, and it could become India’s first single-dose vaccine.
According to an analysis of data gathered 28 days after the shot was administered as part of Russia’s mass vaccination program between December 2020 and April 2021, Sputnik Light showed 79.4 percent efficacy, according to the vaccine’s developers. The Gamaleya Center also demonstrated that Sputnik Light was effective against all new coronavirus strains in laboratory tests, according to the statement.
Sputnik V’s use in India will significantly boost the country’s vaccination campaign, which has been halted in several states due to a severe shortage of vaccine doses. India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, has vaccinated approximately 3% of its population.
