First lot of Sputnik V vaccines arrives in India as country kick starts its 3rd phase of COVID-19 vaccination

HYDERABAD: As India faces an acute shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, the first consignment of Russian Sputnik V vaccine doses arrived in Hyderabad on Saturday. Notably, the first batch of the Russian vaccine doses reached here on a day when India launched its third phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive to cover people in the 18-44 year age group.

Sputnik V vaccine is developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia.

Five million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine are expected to arrive in India by June.

Meanwhile, reports stated that around 150,000 to 200,000 doses will be delivered by early May and another 3 million doses by May end.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) granted permission for restricted use in emergency situations to Sputnik V vaccine on April 13. Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd had applied for the grant of permission to import and market Sputnik V for emergency use authorisation. Sputnik V is Gam-COVID-Vac combined vector vaccine and is approved in 30 countries across the world.

“The vaccine is indicated for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 disease in individuals of ≥ 18 years of age. The vaccine should be administered intramuscularly in two doses of 0.5 ml each with interval of 21 days. (Day 0: Component I & Day 21: Component II). The vaccine has to be stored at -18°C,” the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had stated in its statement.

Dr. Reddy’s is yet to announce the prices of Sputnik V vaccine doses.

In January 2021, the DCGI had given approvals to two vaccines for emergency use authorisation. These are Covishield manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech International Limited’s Covaxin.

While SII has announced that its Covishield vaccine will be provided to private hospitals for Rs 600 per dose, it would give to the state governments for Rs 300 in a ‘philanthropic gesture’.

Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is priced at Rs 400 per dose for state governments and Rs 1,200 per dose for private hospitals.

Both the companies have been supplying the vaccines to the Centre at Rs 150 per dose.