Sputnik V Covid Vaccine: Price, Side Effects and Availability
India became the 60th country on Monday to grant an emergency use authorization for the Russian Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine.
Before Sputnik V, Covishield from the Serum Institute of India and Covaxin from Bharat Biotech received the green signal for restricted use in India.
The development comes at a time when India is facing a vaccine crisis and states are closing vaccination centers due to a lack of injections.
The approval by the Comptroller General of Drugs of India (DCGI) came after the Subject Matter Expert Committee (SEC) on Covid-19 of the Central Medicines Standards Control Organization (CDSCO) recommended on Monday granting approval of Sputnik V for restricted emergency use subject to certain regulatory conditions.
On Monday, the SEC deliberated on Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories request seeking emergency use authorization for Sputnik V.
With curiosity on the rise regarding the vaccine, here are some key things to know about the Russian Covid-19 jab:
Who will make Sputnik V in India?
The vaccine has been developed by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). The organization said it has agreements with India Gland Pharma, Hetero Biopharma, Panacea Biotec, Stelis Biopharma, and Virchow Biotech to produce 850 million doses per year in the country.
Has Sputnik V been tested in India?
In September 2020, Dr. Reddy’s partnered with RDIF to conduct Sputnik V clinical trials. In addition to the trials conducted in Russia by RDIF, Dr. Reddy’s conducted Phase II / III clinical trials of the vaccine in India.
How safe is Sputnik V?
The Russian vaccine is 91.6% effective and provides full protection against severe cases of Covid-19, as evidenced by data published in one of the leading medical journals The Lancet.
It is one of the only three vaccines in the world with efficacy of more than 90%; Sputnik V provides complete protection against severe cases of Covid-19.
Sputnik V uses two different vectors for the two injections during the course of vaccination, providing immunity with a longer duration than vaccines that use the same delivery mechanism for both injections.
There are no strong allergies caused by Sputnik V.
How much will Sputnik V cost in India?
The vaccine is priced at around USD 10 (Rs 750) per injection in other countries. However, the price at which it will be sold in India has yet to be decided.
What are the other countries that use Sputnik V?
Sputnik V ranks second among coronavirus vaccines globally in terms of the number of approvals issued by government regulators.
The total population of 60 countries where Sputnik V is approved for use is 3 billion people or roughly 40% of the world’s population.
The countries where it was approved are Russia, Belarus, Argentina, Bolivia, Serbia, Algeria, Palestine, Venezuela, Paraguay, Turkmenistan, Hungary, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Republic of Guinea, Tunisia, Armenia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Republika Srpska. (entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan, Mongolia, Bahrain, Montenegro, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Gabon, San Marino, Ghana, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, Guyana, Egypt, Honduras, Guatemala, Moldova, Slovakia, Angola, Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Sri Lanka, Laos, Iraq, North Macedonia, Kenya, Morocco, Jordan, Namibia, Azerbaijan, Philippines, Cameroon, Seychelles, Mauritius, Vietnam, Antigua and Barbuda, Mali, and Panama.
When will Sputnik V be available in India?
A limited number of doses will be available in India at the end of April. RDIF expects to produce 850 million doses per year in India.
In addition, according to sources, around 10 crore doses of the Sputnik V vaccine for emergency use are likely to be imported into the country in the next six to seven months.
She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.