First batch of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine to be delivered to India this month

Indian Ambassador to Russia, Bala Venkatesh Varma has said that the first batch of Russia's COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V will be delivered to India in April 2021. Venkatesh said that the volume of vaccine production in India will be gradually increasing and may exceed 50 million doses per month.

Russian Deputy Envoy to India Roman Babushkin had on Wednesday said that Sputnik vaccine emergency use approval by India will open up a new dimension in the special partnership. Russia's Sputnik V got approval from the Subject expert committee (SEC) for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA), making it the third COVID-19 vaccine to get clearance in India.

India has become the 60th country to authorise the use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus. The vaccine is now approved in countries with a total population of 3 billion, or 40 per cent of the world's population.

Efficacy of Sputnik V and its side effects

In its phase 3 trial, the Sputnik V vaccine showed 91.6 per cent efficacy with no significant side effects in its clinical trials in India. As far as side effects are concerned there is a scarcity of knowledge about rare and potentially life-threatening side effects of the vaccine, maybe in pre-existing conditions like people with allergies. It can be discovered only after studying its impact after a large number of people vaccinated.

The clinical trials of SPUTNIK V in India are being done by Dr Reddy's Lab. The Hyderabad based, multinational Indian pharma company, Dr Reddy's Lab has also inked an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) for the supply of the Russian vaccine in India.