The Philippines has approved Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday, as the Southeast Asian country battles a renewed surge in infections.
The vaccine, developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Institute, is the fourth to get emergency use authorisation in the Philippines.
“The known and potential benefits of the Gamaleya Sputnik V vaccine...outweigh the known and potential risks of said vaccine,” FDA chief Rolando Enrique Domingo told a news conference.
Interim data showed the two-dose Sputnik V vaccine had an efficacy of 91.6 percent in age groups 18 and older, Domingo said.
In February, a medical panel in Vietnam recommended the approval of the Sputnik V vaccine.
US vaccine makers Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have made inquiries about the documentary requirements for emergency use approval but have yet to file applications, Domingo said.
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