Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, May 1
The first batch of Russia’s Sputnik vaccine arrived in Hyderabad on Saturday—the first of a few foreign vaccines that are expected to help bolster India’s vaccination drive as the country struggles with combating the deadly second wave of COVID-19.
“First batch of #SputnikV vaccine arrives in Hyderabad, India! That’s the same day the country starts mass COVID vaccination drive covering its entire adult population. Let’s jointly defeat this pandemic. Together we are stronger,” said a tweet from official site for the Russian made vaccine.
Sputnik is a vaccine developed by Moscow-based Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, with a stated efficacy of 91.7 per cent.
COVID vaccines developed by American pharmaceutical giant Pzifer and German biotechnology company BioNTech, American pharmaceutical and biotechnology giant Moderna and American multinational Johnson & Johnson will eventually make their way into India as well.
Sputnik’s arrival comes on a day when India recorded over 4 lakh cases in a day. Its fatality count stands at 2,11,853.
Expressing his happiness at the delivery of the first batch of Sputnik V vaccine to India, Russian envoy Nikolay Kudashev on Saturday said that the local production is about to start soon and is planned to be gradually increased up to 850 million doses per year.
The Russian envoy also said that the efficacy of the Sputnik V in among the highest in the world, and this vaccine will also be effective against new strains of COVID-19,
"Its local production is about to start soon and is planned to be gradually increased up to 850 million doses per year. Look forward to further expand our bilateral and multilateral cooperation with India to stop the pandemic," he added.
Last month, the Drug Controller General (DCGI) had issued permission for Dr Reddy's Laboratories to import the Russian vaccine to India for emergency use.
Sputnik V is the third vaccine India has given the go-ahead to after 'Covishield', developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca and 'Covaxin', the indigenous vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech. Covishield is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
Diplomatic sources had told ANI that India will get a substantive number of vaccines in the first tranche and the supply will continue in instalments. India is expecting 5 million vials of Sputnik vaccines by the next month. — With ANI
First batch of #SputnikV vaccine arrives in Hyderabad, India! That's the same day the country starts mass COVID vaccination drive covering its entire adult population. Let's jointly defeat this pandemic. Together we are stronger.✌️ pic.twitter.com/312Kvtax1L
— Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) May 1, 2021First batch of #SputnikV vaccine arrives in Hyderabad, India! That's the same day the country starts mass COVID vaccination drive covering its entire adult population. Let's jointly defeat this pandemic. Together we are stronger.✌️ pic.twitter.com/312Kvtax1L
— Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) May 1, 2021