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Updated May 1st, 2021 at 18:49 IST

India welcomes Sputnik-V's arrival, avers 'it will accelerate our COVID vaccination drive'

The first batch comprises of 1,50,000 doses, while the remaining batches would comprise of more than 3 million doses which is due next month.

Reported by: Srishti Jha
India
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In a recent development, the first batch of the Russian-made Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Hyderabad on Saturday. The first batch comprises of 1,50,000 doses, while the remaining batches would comprise of more than 3 million doses which is due next month. This holds relevance while several States in India are whining about dearth in vaccine quota as a result, third phase of their vaccination drive is deferred, which commenced today on May 1. 

The Russian-based COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers took to their official Twitter handle and informed,

The official Spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi welcomed the arrival of first batch of vaccine doses. He hailed the 'deeply value support from long-standing friend Russia'. He further hinted at augmenting vaccine capacity of the world's largest vaccination drive commenced on May 1, thus accelerating the liberalised vaccination drive. He took to Twitter to establish the same, 

 

SPUTNIK V - India's third vaccine 

Developed by Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology and supported by the Russian sovereign wealth fund, SPUTNIK V is a vaccine based on human adenoviral victors. It is one of the three vaccines in the world, the other two being Pfizer and Moderna, to have an efficacy of over 90 percent against coronavirus disease, which is caused by SARS-CoV-2. On April 12, India extended emergency authorization to it and became the 60th country to approve it. While it is imported initially, more than 850 million doses of the Russian vaccine will also be produced in India annually. 

Dr Reddy’s and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) entered into a partnership to conduct the clinical trials of the SPUTNIK V vaccine and the rights for distribution in India. SPUTNIK V is the third vaccine to be used in India against COVID-19. COVAXIN, indigenously developed and manufactured by Bharat Biotech and COVISHIELD manufactured by Serum Institute of India in collaboration with Oxford-AstraZeneca are the two vaccines used in India's vaccination drive at present. 

India's vaccination drive 

India began its COVID-19 vaccination drive on January 16, aiming to vaccinate 3 crore health care workers. The second phase of vaccination kicked off on March 1, when PM Modi took the first shot. The second phase was dedicated to those above 60 years of age and ones above 45 years with co-morbidities as registered on CoWIN portal also, walk-ins at few hospitals. On April 1, the Centre initiated vaccine drive for all above 45 years and now from May 1, 18 years and above will be eligible to get themselves immunised, the registration has begun from April 28 on CoWIN portal and Aarogya Setu App.

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Published May 1st, 2021 at 18:49 IST

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